Page 8 - AfrOil Week 20 2021

AfrOil PIPELINES & TRANSPORT AfrOil

The pipeline is expected to create 3,000 tem- web recruitment platform for these opportuni-
porary and 500 permanent jobs across the 18 ties. The Beninese section will feature pumping
municipalities through which it passes: Malan- stations at Gogounou and Tchatchou.
ville, Kandi, Gogounou, Bembèrèkè, N’Dali, Meanwhile, the small West African nation
Parakou, Tchaourou, Ouessè, Savè, Kétou, Adja is understood to be considering developing an
Ouèrè, Pobè, Sakété, Ifangni, Avrankou, Adjarra oil refinery and a committee has been formed
and Sèmè-Kpodji. On May 15, Benin’s Ministry to assess the feasibility of constructing a unit
of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation launched a through a public-private partnership. ™

Sonangol orders two new Suezmax tankers

ANGOLA ANGOLA’S national oil company (NOC) Angolan oil exports
Sonangol has ordered two Suezmax-size oil In related news, Angola’s government revealed
tankers from Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries last week that the country had seen oil exports
(HSHI). sink year on year in the first quarter of 2021.
According to a report from the national press Newly released data show that Angola exported
agency ANGOP, Sonangol intends to buy two 1.87mn barrels per day (bpd) on average
DWT 158,000 tankers, each capable of carrying between January and March, down by 17.42%
about 1mn barrels of crude. HSHI is slated to on the figure recorded in the same period of last
deliver the first vessel in the first quarter of 2023 year.
and the second in the second quarter of the same Alexandre Garreto, the director of the
year, the agency said. Petroleum Ministry’s Department of Studies,
NOC’s tanker fleet currently comprises nine Planning and Statistics, noted that 18.2% of
ships. The NOC placed the order with HSHI in the volumes exported in the first quarter had
order to replace ageing vessels that are nearing belonged to Sonangol.
the end of their service life. Angola’s National Oil, Gas and Biofuels
ANGOP did not reveal the value of Sonan- Agency (ANPG), which acts as concession-
gol’s deal with HSHI, which is a unit of Korea aire for the country’s oil and gas resources,
Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering accounted for another 25.89% of the total, he
(KSOE). However, it did note that the company added. Total (France) had 11.81%, ExxonMobil
was using its own funds to finance the order. (US) 9.71%, BP (UK) 8.66%, Sinopec (China)
Meanwhile, KSOE reported in a separate stock 7.65% and Chevron 6.74%, he added.
exchange filing that the NOC had agreed to pay Garreto also noted that China had been the
KRW153.1bn ($135.9mn) for the tankers. main destination for Angolan oil exports in the
Sonangol is buying the tankers within the first quarter, accounting for 70.14% of all ship-
framework of its plan to acquire a fleet of Suez- ments. Another 8.61% of the total went to India,
max tankers with an operating life of 20 years. with Singapore absorbing 4.85%, France 1.01%
The plan is designed to help the company save and Italy 0.97%, he stated.
money by giving it the ability to deliver oil He also noted that Angolan oil exports had
directly to buyers, without the need to charter commanded an average price of $61.68 per bar-
tankers from third-party shipping companies. rel in the January-June period. ™

Sonangol currently has nine Suezmax tankers in its fleet (Image: DNV)

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 20 19•May•2021