Africa-Press – Angola. Angolan president João Lourenço inaugurated on Thursday, in the municipality of Soyo, Zaire province, the country’s first non-associated natural gas treatment plant, an infrastructure that assumes a strategic character for strengthening national energy security and diversifying the economy.
Before the unveiling of the plaque and the ribbon cutting, the Head of State, accompanied by the First Lady, Ana Dias Lourenço, and several officials, watched an institutional video that presented the main stages of the construction of the industrial unit, which began in October 2023.
The plant has the capacity to process approximately 350 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and is located in the village of Kivinca Nvemba occupying an area of 100 hectares.
At least 2.2 billion US dollars were invested in the project by the new gas consortium (NCG) led by Azule Energy, in partnership with TotalEnergies, Chevron and Sonangol, under the coordination of the National Agency of Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG).
The project includes the exploration and production of non-associated gas from the shallow water fields of Quiluma and Maboqueiro, developed through 13 production wells and two offshore platforms, located 40 kilometers off the Angolan coast.
It also integrates an advanced pipeline system, a triple 26+4+fiber optic package, including a submarine micro tunnel that ensures a safe and efficient connection between maritime and land structures.
The plant employs approximately 4,000 workers, 78% of whom are Angolan nationals, and integrates a local content policy that has already allocated approximately one billion dollars to contracting services provided in Angola.
The new venture consolidates Soyo as one of the country’s main energy hubs.
With over 300,000 inhabitants, Soyo locality combines strategic importance in the oil and gas sector with a privileged location next to the Atlantic Ocean, significant biodiversity, and visible growth in infrastructure linked to industry and sports tourism.
What is non-associated natural gas?
Natural gas is a fossil fuel composed essentially of methane and light hydrocarbons, found in underground reservoirs. It is colorless and odorless in its natural form, which is why mercaptans are added during processing to facilitate leak detection and increase safety levels.
The resource occurs in two forms. Associated gas appears alongside oil in reservoirs and is mainly used for reinjection, electricity generation, and the production of by-products.
Non-associated gas, in its turn, occurs in formations independent of oil and is extracted in dedicated fields.
This type of gas is considered strategic for domestic supply and export, due to its greater purity and availability.
Applications and Economic Importance
Considering that it emits fewer pollutants than other fossil fuels, natural gas emerges as a cleaner energy option.
Its uses include electricity production in thermal power plants, domestic consumption (as cooking gas), fueling vehicles in the form of compressed natural gas (CNG) and also serves as an essential raw material in industrial processes that include the production of fertilizers, plastics, and chemicals.
The versatility of natural gas allows for applications that span the entire economic chain, from the home to heavy industry.
With the technological advances recorded in recent decades, natural gas has ceased to be seen as an expensive byproduct and has come to account for a growing share of global energy consumption, currently exceeding 22%.
In Angola, the scenario has changed profoundly since the start of operations at Angola LNG, which allowed for the use of gas previously burned at the wellhead.
The appreciation of natural gas in international markets has contributed to the acceleration of investments in the sector. In the first nine months of 2022, gas exports yielded 4.356 billion US dollars, corresponding to a 21% increase compared to the total for 2021.
This value represented approximately 11% of national exports and tripled the revenue obtained from diamonds.
Strategic milestone for Angola
The inauguration of the Non-Associated Natural Gas Treatment Plant represents a decisive milestone in the modernization of the national gas industry, strengthening production capacity, expanding the use of the resource and reducing dependence on more polluting fuels.
The project is in line with the policies defined by Presidential Decree No. 7/18 and Decree-Law 10/21, which establish the legal regime and incentives applicable to the exploration, production and marketing of natural gas in the country, offering guarantees to investors and stimulating local content.
By consolidating Soyo as a strategic point in the Angolan economy, the new factory boosts regional socio-economic development, creates new job opportunities, strengthens energy security, and projects Angola towards new frontiers of competitiveness in the gas sector. D
Source: ANGOP
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