Luanda - Thirty countries import and consume Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), produced by the Angola LNG factory, in a universe of about 20 nations that produce and export this commodity in the world.
In addition to being part of this short list of natural gas producing and exporting countries, Angola LNG, with an installed capacity to produce 5.2 million metric tons per year, represents more than 1% of world production.
In other words, of the approximately 400 million tons of gas produced by these countries in 2022, for example, Angola contributed with more than 1% of its production, exported to more than 25 nations, in a set of about 47 countries that import this product in the world.
The country marks its presence on the world map, with a significant weight in LNG production, as confirmed by the CEO of Angola LNG Marketing Ltd (a company based in London, England), Ângelo Paz.
In an exclusive interview with ANGOP, the official pointed to India (Asia) and several European countries as the main destinations for Angolan exports, which are increasingly gaining ground on the old continent, due to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Before the conflict, he recalled, most of Angola's production was sent to India, a reality that had to be redirected to the European market, due to the shortage of gas in the countries of this continent.
As a result, he pointed out, last June, Angola LNG reached a historic milestone of 400th shipment since the start of operation of its plant in 2013.
According to Ângelo Paz, the company's ships (seven vessels) have a capacity to export 160,000 cubic meters of LNG for each cargo, with loading 400 representing a milestone recorded in the period from 2013 to 2023.
According to the CEO of Angola LNG Marketing, who did not disclose the volume of the imported product and the turnover resulting from exports, the company had to expand or redirect its sales to the European market, as a result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
He said that Angola LNG has stopped exporting mostly its product only to India (Asia), as it was previously, to meet the demand of the European market, which in recent years has faced a shortage of this product, due to the current global geopolitical context.
“The war between Russia and Ukraine has caused an increase in demand for gas on the European market, which has forced the company to change the normal pattern of its exports, which were initially mainly destined for India. Currently, a large part of Angolan gas shipments are sent to Europe, in order to meet the demand in this market,” he clarified.
According to the CEO, this achievement is part of the company's commitment to be the supplier of clean and reliable energy to several countries around the world, demonstrating the weight and importance of the Angola LNG brand in the world market.
At the same time, Ângelo Paz points to Angolan gas production as a way for the country to contribute directly to the global energy transition process, providing clean energy associated with oil production.
Domestically, in addition to being one of the approximately 20 countries in the world producing and exporting Liquefied Natural Gas, Angola LNG is also the main supplier of gas to the Soyo Combined Cycle Power Plant, which has the mission of transforming this product into electricity, which is already integrated into the national grid system in the North and Central regions of the country.
From the production of LNG, the plant also extracts other liquid by-products, such as butane, propane and condensates, which are sold exclusively to the company's shareholders to supply the domestic market.
In other words, Liquefied Natural Gas is exported to several countries around the world, while by-products are exclusive to the domestic market, according to the CEO.
“In the process of liquefaction or processing of natural gas, we have several components, such as butane, propane, condensates and methane, the latter being the lightest of the set, constituting the main export product of Angola LNG,” he explained.
Angola maintains self-sufficiency in butane production
Angola LNG is responsible for the production of pressurized butane (cooking gas), one of the by-products that results from the processing of this natural gas.
In this regard, the oil company reached the 100th shipment of pressurized butane, on the 8th of this month (November), which represented a relevant milestone for the country, which became self-sufficient in this product in 2017. On average, each shipment of butane is between 40,000 and 44,000 tonnes.
According to the source, this production is exclusively delivered to Sonangol (Sonagás), under the existing investment contract between the respective shareholders, with a view to meeting only the needs of the national market.
According to the chairperson of Angola LNG Marketing, the plant supplies 125 million cubic feet of gas per year to Sonangol, which distributes this product nationwide.
“Under the agreements between the company's partners, Sonangol has the right to raise all butane produced by the factory, taking into account the needs of the national market,” he said.
To maintain the production of these products, the plant depends on raw material from almost all Angolan offshore oil fields, such as blocks 0, 14, 15, 17, 18, 31 and 32.
However, the official assures that the functional state of the plant remains stable, maintaining its installed capacity of 5.2 million tons of gas/year, always depending on the raw material made available by the oil blocks.
Angola LNG's impact on local populations
Within the scope of social actions, this company has already invested, since 2013 to date, around 590 million US dollars in environmental and social programs in the province of Zaire, the northern region of the country where the LNG plant is located, as confirmed Ângelo Paz.
Among the quantifiable actions carried out, the marketing chairperson highlighted the investment made in the construction of a multipurpose building, with a library, laboratories, 12 new classrooms and sports and leisure facilities for more than 1,200 children at Escola do Bairro da Marinha, in the municipality of Soyo.
According to data from the source, the investment also included the construction of local roads and bridges, a new power station, the modernization of airport infrastructure, social housing, expansion of the Soyo Municipal Hospital, in collaboration with local authorities and partners, in addition to developing training programs for the local population.
As for the Soyo Municipal Hospital, which was rehabilitated and expanded, the CEO assured that Angola LNG will support its equipping, depending on the request made by local authorities.
In the environmental field, the actions include a wide range of projects that protect and improve indigenous ecosystems, through mangrove restoration programs, protection of sea turtles and the Giant Palanca Negra.
Still in this sector, Angola LNG's operations focus on improving air quality, through the elimination of gas burning and the reduction of emissions and greenhouse gases.
Project in portfolio
As part of its expansion, Angola LNG plans to implement the “Sanha Lean Gas Connection” Project, which will collect and send additional gas to the company's modern processing facilities, with the first gas scheduled for 2024.
Some new Non-Associated Gas (NAG) development projects are also being negotiated between various interested parties, as a component of the global gas supply planning process for Angola LNG. Therefore, these supplies are expected to occur in 2026.
The Sanha Lean Gas Connection Project is the result of a partnership between Sonangol Gás e Energias Renováveis, S.A., Cabinda Gulf Oil Company, TotalEnergies, Azule Energy Angola Production B.V. and Azule Energy Exploration (Angola) Ltd.
This Project aims to collect and process gas, foreseeing around 80 shipments annually, through its fleet of seven ships for export.
With an initial capital of US$12 billion, the Angola LNG project, developed to create value from offshore gas resources, is one of the largest investments ever in the Angolan oil and gas industry.
The initial phase of construction of the project allowed the creation of more than seven thousand jobs, and currently has at least 500 employees.
Located 400 kilometers north of Luanda, at the mouth of the Zaire River, in the municipality of Soyo, the manufacturing unit is the first private project in the world that works with associated gas, resulting from the exploration of oil on the high seas, which was previously burned in the atmosphere.
The shareholder structure of this factory includes Chevron, with a 36.4% stake, Azule Energy (27.2%), Sonangol (22.8%), and TotalEnergies, with 13.6% of the shares.
Angola LNG appears with the mission of responding to the need to eliminate the burning of associated gas, from oil operations, in the Angolan offshore, making this product a commodity for the world market. QCB/AC/DOJ
