BackPaenal shipyard – the first in Africa with the capacity to facilitate mega FPSO vessels
One recent landmark event and one milestone event today are propelling Angolan shipyard, Paenal to star alongside other players on the world shipyard stage. Since July of this year when the inauguration of Jamba, the yard’s Heavy Lift Crane (HLC) 2500t took place, Paenal can boast to be the first and only fully fledged fabrication and integration yard in Africa. With the successful first module lifting onto the recently arrived FPSO CLOV, the young yard confirmed her capabilities.
On the 5th December 2013 Paenal yard will bask in the limelight thanks to Total who is hosting the naming ceremony of FPSO CLOV there. The event coincides with the leading oil company’s 60th Anniversary in Angola celebrations. Many important key players of the Angolan Government, the National Oil Company and the Oil and Gas industry are expected to attend this important event and they will no doubt acknowledge the importance of this ideally located yard to the industry. Invited by Total to this momentous occasion, CEO of Sonangol, Dr Francisco de Lemos José Maria, CEO of SBM Offshore, Bruno Chabas and CEO of DSME, Mr. Jaeho Ko will attend.
The yard is becoming a thriving hub and its importance to the region and the Angolan communities who benefit from its growth is clear. This was the objective of Sonangol and Dutch oil service provider SBM Offshore back in 2008, when they began collaborating to realize their common vision to create a state of the art offshore fabrication and Integration yard in Angola. South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering joined the ranks in 2010. All partners wanted to demonstrate what could be possible in terms of Angolan content in offshore projects – with Total’s engagement this has been achieved.
When the vessel CLOV pulled up quayside in Porto Amboim Estaleiros Navais (Paenal) November 8th it not only represented the successful completion of her 18,520km voyage from DSME shipyard in South Korea, it also set a record for Paenal and Africa by being the first FPSO to berth at a West African quayside.
Mid November, module M122, weighing 1,836 tons – which was fabricated at the Paenal yard – was lifted on board the FPSO CLOV by the HLC Jamba. This successful operation made the record books as the first ever topside module integration performed in Africa.
The HLC combined with Paenal’s 490 metres of purpose – built quayside, means the yard is now fully commissioned and can accommodate the installation of topsides into mega FPSOs. Paenal represents an important part in the next chapter of sustainable growth for Angola. This ground-breaking venture will strengthen Angola’s ability to support its offshore oil and gas sector and generate prosperity for its people.
Background:
In just five years a wild expanse of coastline has developed into a world-class fabrication and integration yard and a thriving hub for a local community. The region of Kwanza Sul was chosen as the location, thanks to the excellent location found for the yard in close proximity to the town of Porto Amboim, the pool of workers available locally, and the support of the local authorities. The hope is that the yard will act as a center, to attract other businesses and support services and so breathe a new life into the region. This has started to happen since the seed was planted for the Porto Amboim Estaleiros Navais (Paenal) shipyard in 2008. “Paenal was established to meet a need to develop manufacturing technology and integration of modules in floating production, storage and offloading units,” commented Yard Managing Director Cesar Guerra. Paenal is capable of producing up to 10,000 tons of modules per year.
This transformation has required the patience and vision of three committed partners SBM Offshore, South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (since 2010) and the vital backing of the state-owned national oil company Sonangol. Each company has respective holdings of 30%, 30% and 40% in the Paenal entity. One of the main strategies for the joint venture was to plan for the needs of a community in close parallel to the yard’s development. One key issue was providing employment for a disadvantaged generation following a turbulent period in the country’s history, as a result of over 35 years of civil war. Finding the required skilled workers locally who met international standards required an initiative and investment by SBM and its partners. In parallel with construction of the yard a dedicated training school was established in Porto Amboim which contributes to the knowledge base of Angola’s oil & gas industry and complements the formal education gained by students at Angola’s prestigious National Petroleum Institute (INP) in nearby Sumbe. To ensure that the country’s on-going transformation creates a sustainable economy that benefits its citizens and domestic industries was an integral part of Sonangol’s plan when they joined forces with SBM. Since 2008 the yard’s workforce has grown exponentially. From a humble start six years, almost 1,200 people are now employed, of which 85% are Angolan nationals – a level well above the 70% minimum imposed on the industry by the government. Globally SBM Offshore employs over 1,700 people in their Angolan operations (including Paenal) and has been established in the country since 1997.
