The crude will be sent to the Malango Terminal in Cabinda, while about 50 million cubic feet of gas per day will be supplied to the Angola LNG plant, according to a statement released by the concessionaire.
Paulino Jerónimo, chairman of the board of directors of the ANPG, said the start of production at the project represents “a new successful step” within the broader set of investments being made in the sector by Angola’s partners.
Chevron’s Southern Africa managing director, Frank Cassulo, said the project underlines the commitment of Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Limited, the US energy major’s Angolan subsidiary and operator of Block 0, to building local capacity.
He said the development reflects CABGOC’s determination to promote local content in Angola while “developing resources efficiently within the Block 0 concession.”
The ANPG, CABGOC and the project’s contractor group which includes Sonangol, TotalEnergies and Azule Energy, are all partners in the N’Dola Sul development.
A strategic link to Angola’s Cabinda refinery
The start-up of N’Dola Sul is also strategically important because it coincides with Angola’s long-awaited Cabinda oil refinery, the first to be built since the country gained independence nearly five decades ago.
For years, Angola has exported most of its crude only to re-import refined products at high cost, a situation that has strained public finances and forced the government to maintain costly fuel subsidies. Those subsidies have in turn sparked violent protests when reduced.
With fresh production coming from N’Dola Sul and refining capacity rising in Cabinda, the government is betting it can keep more value at home, stabilise domestic fuel supply and gradually unwind subsidies without triggering further social unrest.