su28-cover:layout 1 29/11/10 19:36 page 1 universocapital’s spirit and sensibilities. 26 angola...

SON

AN

GO

L UN

IVER

SO

ISSUE 28 – D

ECEM

BER2010

Universo

INSIDE:oil and gas news

DECEMBER 2010

Sonangol celebratesaccelerating growth

Angola delightsShanghai Expo

ArtattackLuanda Triennial enchants

Rail revivalreunites Angola

SU28-cover:Layout 1 29/11/10 19:36

DECEMBER 2010 3

CONTENTS

Sonangol News

2 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Universo is the international magazine of Sonangol

Board MembersManuel Vicente (President),

Anabela Fonseca, Mateus de Brito, Fernando Roberto, Francisco de Lemos,

Baptista Sumbe, Sebastião Gaspar Martins

Sonangol Department for Communication & Image

DirectorJoão Rosa Santos

Corporate Communications Assistants

Nadiejda Santos, Lúcio Santos, Cristina Novaes, José Mota,

Beatriz Silva, Paula Almeida, Sandra Teixeira, Marta Sousa

Publisher Sheila O’Callaghan

EditorJohn Kolodziejski

Art DirectorDavid Gould

Sub EditorRon Gribble

Advertising DesignBernd Wojtczack

Circulation ManagerMatthew Alexander

Project ConsultantsNathalie MacCarthyMauro Perillo

Group PresidentJohn Charles Gasser

Universo is produced by Impact Media Custom Publishing. The views expressed inthe publication are not necessarily those ofSonangol or the publishers. Reproduction inwhole or in part without prior permission isprohibited.

This magazine is distributed to a closed circulation. To receive a free copy: [email protected]

Circulation: 17,000

Davenport House16 Pepper Street,London E14 9RPTel + 44 20 7510 9595Fax +44 20 7510 [email protected]

Cover: Photolibrary

4 Angola news briefingAngola backs Guinea-Bissau’s peacebid; Plans to spend $18 billion inpower system; US airline Delta to flyto Luanda direct in 2011; Angola’smen’s basketball team makes last 16of World Championship; IMF heapspraise on Angola’s economic stabil-ity programme; Angola rebuilds5,000 kilometres of roads; $100 mil-lion business park plan for Luanda.

5 Figured outA brief glance at Angola in numbers.

6 Ticket to rideAngola’s rail network revival revs up with the first test runs on the entirely rebuilt Luanda-Malangeline. Two more east-west lines arealso well on their way to comple-tion.

16 Art attackLuanda’s triennial arts exhibition iscurrently offering a multimedia experience aimed at raising the capital’s spirit and sensibilities.

26 Angola woos investorsAngolan artists took the stage atShanghai Expo’s Angola Day cele-bration, providing a memorablemusical soundtrack to the country’sefforts to promote greater trade andinvestment, especially with China,its largest trading partner.

4630

6

40

16

Kam

ene

M T

raça

Inside this issue

December’s issue illustrates wellsome of the dynamic develop-ments possible since the

establishment of Angola’s peace in2002. Nowhere is this clearer than withthe railway system. The Luanda line isnow completely rebuilt and ready for service. Two more railways, includingthe potentially trans-Africa Benguelaline, will follow within two years.

Another peace dividend examinedin the December issue is Luanda’s triennial art event, which is now firmlypart of Angola’s cultural calendar.

Universo also provides anoverview of Sonangol's developmentand key investment projects as its 35thanniversary approaches.

Combining business with pleas-ure, we attend Angola Day at the 2010Shanghai Expo, where Angola em-ployed its art and culture to showcaseits attraction as a trade and investmentpartner.

34 Sonangol news briefing

36 Sonangol’s celebratesUniverso looks back at the company’s milestones and major investments ahead of theFebruary 2011 celebrations

40 Sonangol’s produc-tion director talksAn interview with Ruben Costa

Jon

ath

an B

row

nin

g

36

Kam

ene

M T

raça

Pete

r M

oel

ler

26

46 Happy birthday Sonangol Cape VerdeThe company’s diverse portfolioin the prospering island nation10 years on

50 Inside AngolaA serene beauty spot south of Luanda

Jon

ath

an B

row

nin

g

SU28.contents.pp2-3:SU25 1/12/10 11:13

New business parkA $100 million industrial park is being

built in the Cacuaco suburb of north

Luanda. It will have 53 warehouses, office

and accommodation blocks and a university

research laboratory. The site, known as Kaop

Park, will also host several banking units, a

business advice centre, lecture hall, medical

centre and pharmacy, as well as restaurants.

Long-term, Kaop Park is forecast to create

more than 3,000 jobs and will focus on help-

ing small businesses. The first phase is due

for completion by April 2011.

US airlinkDelta Air Lines has con-

firmed that it will begin serv-

ices from Luanda to Atlanta in

January 2011. The long-awaited

air link will see the first scheduled

flights between Angola and the

United States, and will signifi-

cantly reduce travel times.

Flights will run three times a

week with an Airbus A330-200

flying via Dakar, Senegal. The new

route was made possible by the

signing of bilateral air agreements

between Angola and the US ear-

lier this year. Delta is also working

with Angolan carrier TAAG to sell

space on the same flights at a

future date.

DECEMBER 2010 5

3$1.255

4 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Angola news briefingA helping hand

Figuredout

Angola’s men’s basketball team was theonly African team to make it to the final 16of the World Championship in Turkey, afterbeating Jordan and Germany in the groupstages. However, Luis Magalhães’ teamwas unable to overcome the might of theUnited States, who came out 121-66 win-ners, putting Angola out of the tournament.

Forward Olimpio Cipriano, who plays forAngolan club Recreativo e Desportivo do Libolo, was the team’s top scorer with anaverage of 14.8 points per game. Small forward Joaquim “Kikas” Gomes, of Luanda’s Primeiro de Agosto, was secondwith 13.2 points.

Final countdown million people willbenefit from the government’s Water forAll scheme by 2012

billion of private investment madeoutside of the oil sector in Angola inthe first quarter of 2010

5.4%

jobs created in the hotel industry inthe last two years

1,887Angola will spend $18 billion over the next six yearsto help end electricity shortages. There will be nomore power cuts at the end of this period, Ministerof State Carlos Maria da Silva Feijó said.

“By 2015 or 2016 we could have our energyproblem solved,” he said, adding that the Ministryof Energy would soon be launching tenders forbuilding new dams. There would also be separateinvestment in transmission lines and distributionnetworks.

The money will come from a newly-created infra-structure fund which will accrue the value of100,000 barrels of oil per day. Dr Feijó said Angolawould be producing 4,000 megawatts of electricity,more than five times current output, within sixyears.

Powering up

million barrels of oil exported toChina in August, making Angola itstop supplier

IMF praiseThe International Monetary Fund

(IMF) has praised Angola for its

economic stabilisation programme and

welcomed plans to set up a sovereign

wealth fund. “The macroeconomic situa-

tion continues to improve and reforms are

beginning to bear fruit,” said Murilo Portu-

gal, the fund’s deputy managing director.

Following the IMF’s latest review visit to

Angola, the board is to release $353 mil-

lion of the overall $1.4 billion of loans

agreed in November 2009. Although on the

path to economic recovery, the high levels

of domestic debt have led Angola to revise

its 2009 growth trajectory to 5-6 per cent,

down from an earlier forecast of 6.7 per

cent.

iSto

ckp

ho

to

27.9

7,500kilometres of roads to be rebuilt inAngola by 2013

public sector salary increase for 2011

Highway rebuildingMore than 5,000 kilometres of roads wererebuilt in Angola between 2008 and 2009under the National Reconstruction pro-gramme.

Joaquim Sebastião, director general of theAngolan National Roads Institute (INEA),said more than 7,500km would be rebuiltbetween 2011 and 2013. Future construc-tion programmes also included repairing andrebuilding 1,400 bridges.

Sebastião gave assurances that someconstruction work, held up because of delays in government payments to foreignfirms, would begin again before the end ofthe year.

Get

ty Im

ages

Angola has held out the hand of friendship tosupport crisis-stricken Guinea-Bissau. Aswell as sending a team of police and militaryexperts to help reshape the armed forcesand security services, Angola has pledged$30 million to aid this process.

George Chicoty, Secretary of State for For-eign Affairs, said Angola wanted to do all itcould to help bring stability to the countrywhich has been dogged by military uprisingsand violent drug gangs who use the islands as a trafficking point between Europe and Latin America. “We want tochange the situation in Guinea-Bissau,” he said.

Carlos Gomes Júnior, Guinea-Bissau’sprime minister, visited Angolan PresidentJosé Eduardo dos Santos in September tothank him for his support and to appeal toAngolan businesses to invest in his country.

As president of the Community of Por-tuguese Language Countries (CPLP), Angolahas a mandate to help find solutions forGuinea-Bissau. President Dos Santos said:“It’s important that the CPLP grows harmo-niously, taking care that all of its membersfeel fully integrated and are in conditions ofpeace, stability and democracy.”

AFP

/Get

ty Im

ages

iSto

ckp

ho

to

Carlos Gomes Junior, Guinea-Bissau’s Prime Minister

SU28.Angola News.pp4-5:SU25 29/11/10 19:41 Page 4

TRAINS

DECEMBER 2010 76 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

TO RIDEAfter years of inactivity, Angola’s railways are back on track to serve cut-offcommunities and boost the fortunes of small farmers with produce to send tomarket. Universo was treated to a test run on the Luanda-Malange line aheadof its reopening later this year ➔

Pict

ure

s: K

amen

e M

Tra

ça

TICKETSU28-train.pp6-15:SU27 29/11/10 19:38 Page 6

TRAINS

8 SONANGOL UNIVERSO DECEMBER 2010 9

W hen we gathered at Baía Stationon the outskirts of Luandawhere the train awaited us, its

giant diesel engine humming expectantly,it was still dark.

A night chill hung in the air, but wewere too excited to feel the cold – for thiswas only the second occasion in twodecades on which the train was making the424-km journey all the way to Malange.

We were travelling as guests of the Luanda Railway Company or Caminho deFerro de Luanda, commonly known as theCFL, which was making an inspection tourof the route, ahead of the planned reopen-ing to traffic by the end of the year.

Climbing on board just before 6am, westowed our luggage, took our seats and thenwith a sharp toot and big chug, we were off.

Day had broken by the time wereached our first stop at Catete, the birth-place of Angola’s first president, AgostinhoNeto. Here we were able to have a good lookat the impressive glass-fronted station. Thenew building has two floors with a largeopen waiting area as well as several corri-dors of offices and administration rooms.The giant white letters spelling out CATETEcan be seen for miles around.

Ending isolationThis and the other 15 stations, along withthe new track and repositioned platforms,have been built by the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC).

Trains have been running along theCFL across the eastern suburbs of Luandafor several years, offering a vital alternativeto overcrowded roads, but only now has thefull length of the route through to Malangebecome fit for operations.

The restoration of the service is beinghailed as a major accomplishment for Angola’s post-war reconstruction, recon-necting many rural communities that havebeen cut off from the railway for years.

As the sun rose and the train rolled on,we were given a warm welcome. On approaching each station, groups of excitedchildren ran onto the platforms chanting“comboio, comboio”, the Portuguese wordfor train.

“I’m very happy to see the train todaybecause it’s been nearly 20 years since I �

New stations aresprouting alongthe new lines

Mural rememberssteam past

21st-centuryinteriors

SU28-train.pp6-15:SU27 29/11/10 19:38 Page 8

TRAINS

DECEMBER 2010 11

TRAINS

10 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

last saw it here,” said José Paulino Cardoso,the soba, or traditional chief, of the ruralvillage of Canhoca, roughly one third of theway between Luanda and Malange.

Greeting us, local farmer JoaquimMiguel, 29, enthused: “The people workingon the land here have not been able to gettheir crops to the cities, but now with thetrain we have a good thing. We are going toproduce more, and our community will become more developed as a result.”

Market linkTeresa Manuel Jorge, 48, also from Ca –nhoca, added: “We need this train. Our landis producing a lot. We have plenty of cas-sava as well as potatoes. The train will helpus transport our goods to Luanda so thatwe can sell them. We are very happy to seethe train coming through here again afterall these years.”

Further along the route at N’dalatando,the capital of Kwanza Norte province, alarge crowd gathered on both sides of thetrack to greet the train as it pulled into thestation.

“My mother has told me many storiesabout the train and how it used to be, butnow I can see it for myself. I can’t wait to geton it and take a ride,” said 17-year-old Cas-tel Raimundo.

Passenger well-being is another advantage of Angola’s rail revival. “It’s going

Big, noisy and diesel, you can hear a Luanda railway trainapproaching from a long way off. You can spot it clearly inthe distance too because all the carriages are brightlypainted in the Angolan colours of red, black and yellow.

Inside they are clean and modern with air conditioning,toilets and a restaurant car.

There are three travel classes, the luxurious ‘Primeira’,the comfortable ‘Expresso’ and the more practical ‘Tra-mueis’. Primeira boasts leather reclining seats, and eachpassenger has an individual video screen; Expresso passen-gers face each other and are able to view communal

screens; while in Tramueis, the cheapest section, peoplehave basic seating alongside standing areas.

Fares from Luanda to Malange are expected to cost fromaround $25, according to CFL president Osvaldo Lobo doNascimento, although no final decisions have yet been madeon ticket prices.

The 424-km journey, linking 16 stations through fourprovinces, is scheduled to take around eight hours.

The reopening of the railway from Luanda to Malange,originally built in 1909, will form part of the celebrations ofAngola’s 35 years of independence from Portugal.

Step inside

to be much safer to travel by train than byminibus taxi,” said labourer João Domin-gos, 36. “There are too many accidents onthe roads. The train will offer us a quickerand safer alternative.”

Peace trainFor some, though, the return of the train isas symbolic as it is useful. One woman, whohad stopped to watch the train pull in at thesmall station of Luinha, said simply: “I amhappy that the train is here because itmeans we are at peace.”

Agreeing with this sentiment, andshared by many we spoke to along the way,Angola’s Deputy Minister of Transport JoséJoão Kuvingua, who was travelling with theCFL delegation, said: “This train is a symbolof Angola’s peace and development, be-cause without peace it wouldn’t be possibleto run this train.”

Pointing at the new track as we madeone of many stops along our journey, thedeputy minister said: “This is what �

We need thistrain. Our land isproducing a lot. Wehave plenty of cas-sava as well aspotatoes. Thetrain will help ustransport ourgoods to Luandaso that we can sellthem

“

”Teresa Manuel Jorge, Canhoca

Teresa can now take produce to market

Deputy transport minister Kuvingua(left) and CFL president Nascimento (centre)

Expresso class

Train link will develop new markets

PMP

Glo

bal


TRAINS


Trains run in the Acácio family. António’s grandfather and father bothworked for the Luanda Railway Com-pany. He joined the company in 1975just after Angola’s independence, andnow his son is working for CFL as well.

“I’d always wanted to work on the railways, and my son too,” he explained. “I hope that my grandchil-dren will follow us and be part of thenew generation with the CFL.”

The 57-year-old has been drivingtrains for 33 of his 35 years of servicewith the company. He is now in chargeof training the new drivers who will operate the Luanda to Malange pas-senger service when it restarts laterthis year.

It was only natural that Antonioshould have been chosen to takecharge of the train on its full test trip. “I am very proud; it is a great honour tobe driving the train for the members ofthe board of the CFL,” he said.

“I am also very happy that after allthese years out of service, we are nowtaking the train back to the people who so badly need this form oftransport.”

Remembering darker days in hiscareer, Antonio recalled driving thetrain during Angola’s conflict, trans-porting troops and cargo to key logistical points. With the railways amajor target for land-mines and am-bush attacks by rebels, every journeyheld a high risk of injury or death.

“We would set off with our hearts in our hands, and we never knew whenwe would return,” he said. “Fortunately most of us made it back…although, of course, some didn’t. But now this is all behind us,and we have a new generation of trains and drivers to take the train into the future.

“For me, being able to train the new drivers is a wonderful honour and gives me real professional satis-faction.”

progress means. Before, the track had liter-ally sunk; there was nothing there. Now ithas been totally restored and is ready to beused again. The train is really going to helpa lot of Angolans, especially people fromthe poorest areas, because it is the meansof transport which allows them to carry themost at the lowest cost.”

Day-trippers“We are proud of the line’s restoration, andI think that everyone in Angola, particularlyin this region, should be proud becausethey have all helped make it happen in different ways,” he added.

Kuvingua also said the long-term planwas to build a secondary track following astraighter and more direct route fromN’dalatando to Malange, but keep the orig-inal line which passes through the stunninggreen landscape of Kwanza Norte and upthe steep Morro do Binda for tourists andday-trippers.

The estimated cost of rebuilding the

CFL is $350 million, and many Angolanshave been employed alongside the Chineseworkforce in constructing the new stations.

Most stations are modern and paintedin bright pink and orange, with steel andglass fronts and open-plan waiting rooms.In contrast, you can still see some of the oldbrick colonial stations, now crumbling andvandalised memories of a fading past.

CFL president Osvaldo Lobo do Nasci-mento said the plan was to restore some of

the old structures, but most were beyondrepair. “It’s a shame,” he said, “but somewere just so degraded it was not possible.They are, of course, an important memoryof how the railway used to be, and we wantto make a museum at Catete for everyoneto see what it used to be like.”

He said 175 new jobs had been createdahead of the full reopening of the line, andtraining was underway for the new staffworking in all areas from ticket offices totrack maintenance.

Speaking at the end of the journey,which had involved countless stops at stations and pauses to inspect the track andsignalling, Lobo do Nascimento said he waspleased with progress and hoped CFL inspectors would sign-off on constructionwork within weeks in preparation for theline’s relaunch.

“Restoring the train will bring manybenefits,” he concluded, “not just to individuals but to our national economy,and we are very proud of that fact.” �

Father and son enginemen Restoring the train will bring many benefits, not just toindividuals but to our national economy, and we arevery proud of that fact“ ”

Lobo do Nascimento CFL president

TRAINS

Skip

Bro

wn

/Nat

ion

al G

eog

rap

hic

So

ciet

y/C

orb

is

Acácio seniorand junior


Lobito

Luau

Cubal

Matala

Namibe

Menongue

Benguela

Lubango

Malange

Luena

Huambo

N'dalatandoLuanda

LuinhaCatete

Kuito

ATLANT IC

OCEAN

CONGO

DEMOCRATICREPUBLIC

OF THECONGO

ZAMBIA

NAMIBIA

ANGOLA0

0

200 km

150 mi

50 100 150

50 100

International boundaryProvincial boundary

National capitalProvincial capitalTown, village

Namibe-Menongue reopening by end of 2012

Benguela-Luau reopening by end of 2012 (to Huambo by end of 2011)

Luanda-Malange reopening end of 2010

TRAINS

The Luanda Railway Company runs eastward out of Luanda,through the dry flat fields of Bengo with its striking forestsof baobab trees, into the lush greenness of Kwanza Norteand up into the magical rolling hills and plains of Malange.

At times the track runs right in front of homes, while atothers it is in splendid isolation in the middle of deep-greenbanana plantations or with just a bare rock face for com-pany.

The CFL is the first of three train lines to come back intofull service, and by the end of 2012, Angola hopes to have allof them fully operational again for freight and passengers.

The Benguela Railway (CFB) is the longest railroad in An-gola, stretching 1,344-km from the port city of Lobito on the Atlantic coast over to the small town of Luau,on the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A small stretch of track is in use between Lobito andCubal in Huambo province, but the plan is to extend passen-ger services to Huambo city by early 2011.

In the very south of the country, the Moçâmedes Railway

Angola’s famous three

(CFM) will connect Namibe on the coast to Lubango on theHuila plateau, then on to Menongue in Kuando Kubangoprovince.

DECEMBER 2010 15

Menongue bridge – CFM

iSto

ckp

ho

to

Majestic baobabs ornamentAngola’s countryside


ART


ART ATTACKTRIENNIAL -

Luanda’s second arts festival, Trienal de Luanda, is underway, providinga season of multimedia emotional experiences aimed at arousing public

artistic awareness. Universo prowled the venues ➔

Pho

tolib

rary

SU28.Trienal.pp16-25:SU27 29/11/10 21:46 Page 16

ART


The 2010 Luanda Triennial, the three-month-long contemporary artsfeast, has taken over Angola’s capital

with four permanent exhibitions and anewly-restored cinema hosting differentevents every night.

The free event launched in mid-Sep-tember to a top-level audience which included the Minister of Culture, Rosa Cruze Silva, and the Governor of Luanda, Francisca do Espírito Santo.

The theme of the triennial is “Emo-tional Geographies: Art and Effects”.

Fernando Alvim, director of theSindika Dokolo Foundation which organ-ised and funded the event to the tune of $2million, explained that it was very muchabout the city of Luanda – not just locatedwithin it.

Hybrid city“This is a triennial which has emerged fromthe experience of Luanda, all the metamor-phoses that we have in this very hybrid city,linked to its history and past,” he said.

Black-and-white portraits, pictures ofmen in drag, acoustic music, video art, cinema, contemporary dance, and fashionand theatre are just some of the dishesbeing served up at this year’s event, featur-ing more than 100 artists, debates on architecture and aesthetics, and street

performances as well as an exhibition ofancient African masks.

Alvim describes the triennial as “a cultural movement” where the idea is tocreate “a platform so that the artist can dis-play his or her artistic experiences withoutbeing conditioned by the art system”.

Or, put simply, he wants the festival toshow artists and their work as themselvesand not shaped in the context of a themedor curated exhibition.

“Through this triennial we want theartist to be a form of alchemist. It’s the ideathat they can reflect on art in a new spaceand create more autonomy, be it in thoughtor action,” explained Alvim, who is himselfan artist.

There are seven visual exhibitions including African photography, Angolan architecture and Angolan video, each running for several weeks at a time acrossthe four main gallery spaces.

One of them is at the Cine Nacional,which has just had a refurbishment costingalmost $1 million and will host daily eventsranging from live music, dance and theatreperformances to film showings, comedyand lectures. “This is really a legacy for thepost-triennial,” said Marita Silva, the eventproject co-ordinator. “It was restored notjust for the triennial but for the city of Luanda.”

There is also an education programmeinvolving 70,000 schoolchildren in the cap-ital, and a series of television programmeson the triennial with the participation ofthe artists. These will be shown on AngolanTV in a bid to contact a wider audience.

An inspirationWhile many of the Angolan artists takingpart are using Luanda as their inspiration,Kiluanji Kia Henda, for example, with his“Versus Carnival” photographs, subverts �

Artist Kamene M Traçaand model Nayma

DECEMBER 2010 19

Pict

ure

s: K

amen

e M

Tra

ça

Fernando Alvimtriennial organiser

Sleek new venue: theMilennium gallery


ART

DECEMBER 2010 21

ART


the themes of the city’s annual street parade.

There are also many internationalartists on the roll call.

Among them are star names such asBritish/Nigerian Turner Prize winner ChrisOfili, controversial South African KendellGeer, Ethiopian-Swiss Loulou Cherinet,New York-based Egyptian Ghada Amer; Abdoulaye Konaté and Seydou Keita fromMali, Nigeria’s Yinka Shonibare and SamuelFosso from Cameroon.

There is also a special exhibition ofphotographs about Angolans living in Salvador in Brazil, as well as a display of ancient masks from the Chokwe kingdomin eastern Angola.

The first triennial was held three yearsago to much critical acclaim, putting theSindika Dokolo Foundation firmly on thecontemporary art map, and leading to well-attended shows in France, Italy and Brazil.

Some of the works on show belong toDokolo’s private collection, said to be oneof the biggest of contemporary African artin the world. Others have been brought toLuanda especially for the occasion.

Angolan actor and playwright OrlandoSergio, who during the triennial is staginghis comedy Armed Robbery and taking partin a public debate at Cine Nacional, said thearts festival brought a new dimension toAngola’s cultural scene. �

“Everything starts with art, even a car, as it needs to be de-signed before it can be made. Art gives a lot to people and italso helps us reflect and philosophise. Every society needsart to give a balance, to help people see life and to see thelight in the corner.”

Paulo Azevedo is a photographer and video artist and oneof the many Angolans who, after a lengthy spell abroad during the conflict years, are now back home to share thefruits of peace.

The 36-year-old has a number of pictures in the triennial,but his main role has been to film interviews with the otherartists involved and document on camera the event’s buildupand preparation.

With camera still firmly in hand on the opening night, Paulohas taken his job seriously. His programmes will be broad-cast on Angolan television during the festival with a view toengaging a wider audience and attracting more people to theexhibitions.

Paulo Azevedo – Video artist There is also aspecial exhibitionof photographsabout Angolans living in Salvador inBrazil as well as adisplay of ancientmasks from theChokwe kingdom ineastern Angola

Left to right: Francisca do EspíritoSanto, Fernando Alvim, Rosa Cruz

e Silva, Bornito de Sousa

Downtown Luandathrough Paulo’s lens


ARTART


Kiluanji Kia Henda is a self-taughtphotographic artist who got hisbig break at the 2007 triennial.Aged 31, he is now a star in Angolan contemporary art circles,having exhibited in France, at the Venice Biennial and, more recently, at the São Paulo Biennialin Brazil.

One of Kiluanji’s most eye-catching pictures is “Mus-sorongo” depicting a black manon a white background, bent for-ward and with a wide-eyed ex-pression.

“The Mussorongo tribe comesfrom the north of Angola but it isalso a word we use here in Luanda to describe someone whofinds things difficult to under-stand or who gets really angry,”the artist explained.

The picture is part of a seriesof six based on Luanda’s annualstreet carnival called “Versus Carnival”. “There are many pho-tographers who work on carnivalalready and I didn’t just want torepeat this,” he said, “so I tookthe basic elements of carnival

Kiluanji Kia Henda – Photo artistand turned them around.

“Carnival is very colourful, so mypicture is black and white; carnivalinvolves lots of people, so I have justone person; carnival is on the streetin public, this was done in a privatestudio. It’s about subverting the carnival concepts, that’s why I havecalled it Versus Carnival,” said Kiluanji.

Like many Angolan artists, Kiluanji has a lot to gain from the triennial. “It’s a moment for me toshow my work to people who understand the context of what I’mworking on. I personally grew a lotfrom the first triennial.”

Kiluanji, who works out of a smallstudio in Hotel Globo, down the corridor from the offices of theSindika Dokolo Foundation wheresome of his work will be on display,said he was also happy to be able toappreciate the work of other artists.

“It is an opportunity to have somegood contemporary art here in Luanda, something we don’t seevery often. Now we can have the bignames of the African and interna-tional art scene here in our city.”

“There are not many exhibitions of artand photography in Angola. This is aunique opportunity for the artists takingpart and also for the public to see theirwork. We hope the triennial will bring cura-tors and experts to Luanda to see the workon show,” said Sergio.

“It is hard for Angolan artists to havethat exchange with other countries, even inAfrica, because travel is difficult and com-munications hard. This is a bigchance to create more knowledgeof what Angola has to offer.”

Soul spaceIn a city with just a handful ofgalleries, the triennial cer-tainly offers a rare chancefor cultural immersion forresidents and visitors alike.

Event director Alvim said hewanted to create “spaces where peopleon a Sunday afternoon or at the end of aday, can go into an exhibition. Art is proba-bly the only space today that permits us tohave a space for the soul, a space that allows people to reflect on their existenceand their relations with the world.”

Making all the events free of chargewas key to this concept of inclusivity, Alvimsaid, and he hoped this would attract morepeople to the exhibitions. During the trien-nial, the four fixed sites will show 400 piecesof work.

Alvim is also very excited about plansto paint billboards across the city. “Therewill be more than 400 large-scale images,”he said. “People just crossing the city havealready started to see on an aesthetic leveleverything linked to the triennial.”

Asked what the 2010 triennial will dofor Angola, Alvim referred back to 2007.“After the first triennial, we had manyartists who had been working but not hadspace to show their work. The event createda platform for them, and some have goneon to take part in international shows.

“In terms of benefits to the country,we can’t compare it to something like the Africa Cup of Nations football tourna-ment which Angola hosted earlier this year;it is a long-term impact which is less instantly visible. In culture we work for thefuture generations.” �

Mussorongo

Kiluanji Kia Henda


Binelde Hycran Semedo Tavares – Multi-media man

ART

Luanda, Los Angeles, Monaco, UK, France, Spain and Portu-gal…there are plenty of influences in Hycran’s work, but whathe wants most of all is to understand and portray his birth-place, Luanda.

In his three-minute video, which he filmed on the Ilha usinga group of boys who had never acted before, Hycran wantedto prove reality is art but that art is also reality.

Aged 28, he moved to France in 1998 and studied art inMonaco, a growing hub for edgy contemporary art. His recentprojects have included making a chair from an old computerkeyboard and designing a Ladurée macaroon, a luxuryParisian pastry, like an oil barrel (“to represent the ultimatecommodity”, he explained).

He has also dabbled in some street art, earlier this year sitting in a cage in Monaco and asking people to move himaround.

“We have works on show here from many other countriesin Africa; pictures from people such as Yinka Shonibare and

DECEMBER 2010 25

Seydou Keita. These are important works and they arehere, in Luanda, because of the Sindika Dokolo Founda-tion.”

Full of praise for director Fernando Alvim and the foun-dation, Hycran said it was a “dream” for him to take part inthe 2010 triennial.

Future art hub“Luanda is going to be a famous place for people to comeand see art in the future. I really believe that,” said Hycran.

“People here love new things and change: we were atwar for 27 years, so now we want to go on, grow up,change, move forward, and be high. We were hidden, butthis is our time. Angola has a time and it is now.

“In five or ten years, Angola is going to be an art desti-nation like Venice or Paris because here we have greatartists such as Fernando and Kiluanji and many others, sowe must just wait.”


Photos by Cameroon’s Samuel Fosso


2010 EXPO SHANGHAI CHINA


ANGOLA WOOSA special Angola Day programme capped the country’s participation in

the 2010 Shanghai Expo, stylishly showcasing Angola and its investmentprospects. Universo saw the highlights ➔

Pict

ure

s:Jo

nat

han

Bro

wn

ing

INVESTORS

SU28.Expo.pp26-33:SU27 29/11/10 21:42 Page 26

2010 EXPO SHANGHAI CHINA EXPO 2010


Amix of vibrant dance and music provided the background as Angolan representatives delivered a

clear message on the country’s openness toforeign investment. And a kaleidoscope ofartistic performances in front of Chineseand Angolan authorities celebrated the tiesbetween the two countries, displaying, Angola’s cultural diversity.

Flagging up opportunitiesAngola Day began with the hoisting of thecountry’s flag over the Expo site, perchedon the banks of the Huangpu River in central Shanghai, opposite the city’s famous stock exchange.

Angolan Vice-President Fernando daPiedade Dias dos Santos then addressedthe audience, urging Chinese officials andbusinessmen to invest in Angola, statingthat the country represented a “safe andstable” environment for foreign companies.

Underlining the significance of theeconomic, fiscal and social reforms under-way in Angola, he said the measures wereinternationally accepted as necessary stepstowards creating a more stable and sustain-able macroeconomic environment.

“We are counting on our several part-ners, domestic and foreign, and especiallythe People’s Republic of China which hasco-operated with Angola’s developmentand reconstruction through its banks andcompanies,” he said.

Artistic talent, cultural colourThe programme for this special day was organised by the Angolan National Com-mittee for the Expo. An impressive lineupof Angolan artistic talent brought localcolour to the cultural part of the event. Thestar-studded cast included names wellknown in the Angolan cultural scene, suchas Bruno M, Margareth do Rosário, Kilandukilo, Yuri Cunha, Bonga, Danny-Land Nanutu.

In the main hall at the Expo Centre –specially designed for official ceremonies –Angolan artists put on captivating perform-ances featuring Angolan rhythms anddances. Members of the dance troupe Welwitschias twirled around the stage �

Fernando da PiedadeDias dos Santos,

Vice president

The KilandukiloDodó Miranda, Margareth doRosário, Gingas, EuclidesBumba and Welwitschias

Strutting their stuff:Sónia Cunha and the Welwitschias

SU28.Expo.pp26-33:SU27 29/11/10 21:42 Page 28

ART ATTACK

DECEMBER 2010 31

2010 EXPO SHANGHAI CHINA


per cent more than in the same period theprevious year, as the Chinese economy con-tinued to recover strongly from the global financial crisis.

João Rosa Santos, head of Sonangol’s department of communication, said thatChina had become an exceptional partnerand that Angola’s presence at the Expo represented a unique opportunity to further those ties. “This is an excellent chanceto expand the connection between our coun-tries,” he said.

Rosa Santos added that Sonangol, as Angola’s biggest oil company, has taken aleadership role in the commercial exchanges.

China is the second-largest oil consumerin the world after the United States, and itsdemand is still growing rapidly. The Interna-tional Energy Agency forecasts China’s oil imports will reach over 13 million barrels perday (bpd) by 2030, from 3.5 million bpd in2006. Even though a big chunk of its oil im-ports come from the Middle East, the �

This is an excellent chance to expand the connec-tion between our countries“ ”

João Rosa Santos, head of Sonangol communications

while the audience watched transfixed. They were followed by the Kilandukilo

folklore group. Dressed in traditional tribalcostumes, they danced to the sound of instruments such as the djembé and reco-reco, and waved decorative weapons,much to the delight of Chinese members of the audience who enjoyed the sponta-neous and uninhibited nature of the performance.

Biggest investmentpartnerThe considerable effort that went into theshow underlined the huge importance thatChina has begun to take on for Angola overthe last decade.

“The growing trust within our bilateralrelations has continued to develop and ourco-operation has been rewarded with success in every sector [in which China hasinvested]”, said Wang Changshun, China’s vice minister for Civil Aviation, who

was shown around the Angolan pavilion byVice President Dias dos Santos.

China has become Angola’s biggesttrading partner and is a key player in the reconstruction of the country. Since 2004,China’s Export-Import Bank has extendedover $4 billion in oil-backed loans, most ofit to finance infrastructure projects in Angola. In addition, Angola secured threecredit lines with China at the end of lastyear amounting to $10 billion, according tothe World Bank.

Sonangol: key to China tradeAngola is central to China’s growing energydemands and Sonangol is a strategic playerin that relationship, since Angola’s main export to China is oil. According to the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics, in thefirst half of 2010 Angola was China’s largestsource of imported crude oil. Importsreached nearly 22 million metric tons, 76

João Rosa Santos, Sonangol’scommunications director

Wang Changshun,vice minister for

Civil Aviation

SU28.Expo.pp26-33:SU27 29/11/10 21:42 Page 30

presence at the next International Fair inLuanda will be strong, demonstrating thatthe country’s efforts at the Expo were paying off, said Cardoso.

Sustainable developmentAt the heart of the Expo is the idea of sustainable development, embodied by itstheme “Better City, Better Life”. As it drawsto a close, Expo is expected to surpass the70 million visitors initially forecast by theChinese government.

Local and central governments invested heavily in improving Shanghai’sinfrastructure, extending undergroundtrain lines and expanding other transportlinks to the new Expo site. Over 4,000 newtaxicabs were added to the city’s fleet and

The relationshipbetween Chinaand Angola hasevolved rapidly, allowing for an increasing num-ber of projectsfocused on a betterquality of livingin our country

“

”

2010 EXPO SHANGHAI CHINA2010 EXPO SHANGHAI CHINA


country is seeking to import more fromAfrica. As a result of such booming busi-ness, the subsidiary China-Sonangol wasestablished in 2004 with offices in Beijing.

“Sonangol is at the centre of China-An-gola relations,” said Matos Cardoso, head ofthe Angolan business forum in Shanghai. Itrepresents the model business in our market, and its partnership with Chinahelps the advance of other sectors andcompanies. As a result, it has the ability toboost the Angolan economy as a whole.”

Stepping up the paceIn an effort to capitalise on the trade momentum between the two countries, Angolan businessmen and government officials organised an Angolan businessforum in Shanghai soon after Angola Day.The forum was an ideal opportunity tospread more information on the invest-ment prospects in Angola for Chinese companies.

“The relationship between China andAngola has evolved rapidly, allowing for anincreasing number of projects focused on abetter quality of life in our country,” saidMatos Cardoso.

Chinese investment in the country hasbeen a major force behind the growth ofAngolan industry, as well as its infrastruc-ture sector, he said. “The improvement ininfrastructure leads to a rise in domesticand agricultural output and, as a conse-quence, to better social conditions.” As a result of the events in Shanghai, Chinese

1.7 million people trained as volunteers toassist visitors. The investment made in theExpo site alone is estimated at $4.2 billion.

Élio Gambôa, director of the Angolanpavilion, stressed that the purpose of thecountry’s representation was to present theChinese with a rich, multifaceted portrait ofa new Angola, full of business potential, aswell as an exciting tourist destination.

In the pavilion, a collection of imagesand sounds reflected the country’s identity.This started with the 4-D experience, a 3-Dfilm watched in a cinema with the seats ofthe audience moving according to the Trade between China and Angola has developed at a breakneck pace. Bilateral

trade did not exceed $700 million in a single year during the 1990s, but trade vol-ume grew rapidly in the first decade of this century, reaching nearly $7 billion in2005. In the following year, Angola became China’s biggest partner in Africa,with bilateral trade rising to $12 billion, and expansion has continued sharplysince then.

Angola-China trade growthterrain seen on the screen. The film showedAngola’s famous attractions, such as the Kalandula Falls and Mussulo Beach.

The Angolan pavilion also showcasedsome of the country’s other attractions, including pictures of the prehistoric cavepaintings found in the south of Angola and areplica of the portico of the 15th-century Kulumbimbi Cathedral.

By Angola Day in late September, thenumber of visitors to the pavilion had exceeded 56 million, demonstrating thestrong interest among Chinese visitors, someof whom queued for over an hour. As in the other 190 pavilions, after leaving the Angolan display visitors proudly collected a “visa” stamp on their ShanghaiExpo passport, showing they had been to An-gola.

The Angolan authorities hope that someof the visitors will be tempted to get a realvisa and spend some time in the country. �

Matos Cardoso, head of the business forum

Matos Cardoso, Head of Angola’sShanghai business forum

iSto

ckp

ho

to

4-D experience:trip to Angola

Stamp of approval:passport to Angola

SU28.Expo.pp26-33:SU27 29/11/10 21:43 Page 32

DECEMBER 2009 35

Brazil prospectsSonangol was among the many oil

companies taking part in the presti-

gious Rio Oil & Gas Expo and Conference,

the biggest of its kind in Latin America.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event in

September, Cândido Cardoso, president

of Sonangol in Brazil, said the company

had much to gain from investing in the

country and that it offered “interesting

prospects”.

Sonangol has projects in three blocks

offshore Brazil, which shares similar geol-

ogy with Angola, and in August 2009 it

took control of Brazilian oil company

Starfish. “From a technical point of view,

both Angola and Brazil have things to gain

in exchanging experiences from across

both sides of the Atlantic,” said Cardoso.

“Brazil means a lot to Sonangol. Brazil

and Petrobras have ties that date back to

the beginning of Sonangol.”

NEWSSonangol news briefing

Partners in Block 15/06have announced a newdiscovery. The Cabaça

South East-2 oil well is lo-cated at a depth of 470 metres, about 100km off thecoast. The appraisal well hasboosted initial oil-in-place estimates by about 30 percent, increasing the likelihoodthat a second production hubis on the cards for the deep-water block.

Eni has a 35 per centworking interest and is theoperator in Block 15/06, whileSonangol is the concession-aire. Other partners are SSIFifteen (20%), Sonangol E&P(15%), Total (15%), Falcon OilHolding Angola (5%), Petro-bras (5%) and Statoil (5%).

The same partners in Block15/06 announced a newcommercial deep-sea find atthe Mpungi-1 well on October18. Initial flow was 6,000 barrels of oil a day. The well is 120km off the coast and1,050 metres below thewaves, while its reservoir liesa further 600 metres underthe sea floor.

➔34 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

São Tomé and Príncipe is keen for African oilcompanies such as Sonangol to be its partner in upcoming oil exploration.

International oil firms ConocoPhillipsChevron, Petrobras and Tullow are bidding forrights to explore for oil off the coast of SãoTomé in the Gulf of Guinea. But during a recentvisit to Luanda, Patrice Trovoada, Prime Minis-ter of São Tomé and Principe, told Reuters: “Ifthere is oil, this oil is in Africa and it should befor the African people. Therefore, there is apreference towards African companies.”

The bidding was expected to end on September 15, but has been extended to givefirms such as Sonangol more time, he said.

Sonangol book prizewinnerThe 2011 Sonangol Grand LiteraturePrize has been unanimously awarded toJoão Lopes Filho, who uses the penname Osagyeto Moisés. The CapeVerdean writer won the $50,000 prize forhis book Percursos & Destinos (Routes &Destinations).

His book describes the socialprocesses and cultural history of thepeople of the Cape Verde Islands.

The judges said the book was “auda-cious, detailed and descriptive” in itsportrayal of the history of Cape Verde’speople. They also praised Sonangol for

creating a prize which gave “an incentiveto aesthetic creation and scientific production, as well as an exchange of experiences” between the cultures of thecountries taking part.

The annual competition is open toall Portuguese-speaking African coun-tries and began in 1987. Panel presidentCorsino Fortes said there were plans toextend the competition to East Timor,also a member of the Community of Por-tuguese Language Countries. This year’swinner will receive his award on Febru-ary 25, Sonangol’s 35th anniversary.

Sara

h M

on

agh

an

LNG boost for cropsAngolan farmers are set to benefit from byproductsfrom the new Angola liquefied natural gas (LNG)plant under construction in the north of the coun-try. An ammonia and pesticide factory is plannedalongside the LNG plant. Ammonia is a raw mate-rial used in the production of fertilisers.

The idea is to create an industrial and develop-ment hub at the LNG factory site at Soyo in Zaireprovince, said Pedro Katendi, national director forAgro-Industry.

Angola LNG is a stock-based company made upof Chevron (36.4%), Sonagas (22.8%) and Total, Eniand BP (each with 13.6%). Construction is expectedto cost $8 to $10 billion and will produce around5.2 million tonnes of LNG and related products forexport to the United States, Europe and Asia.

Hub role

African partners

iSto

ckp

ho

to.c

om

AFP

/Get

ty Im

ages

Rig safetyAngola’s Oil Minister José Maria

Botelho de Vasconcelos has

pledged a more rigorous approach to

protect the country from an environmen-

tal disaster such as the one which

recently struck the Gulf of Mexico. “We

have worked very closely with the oil

companies in a bid to fine-tune and ad-

just existing mechanisms so as to carry

out that monitoring,” Vasconcelos told

Radio Nacional de Angola. However, he

stressed that safety procedures had al-

ways been extremely thorough in Angola.

China’s largest supplierChina has confirmed that Angola

became its biggest oil supplier for

August this year. Citing figures from the

Chinese Customs Bureau, the Beijing-based

Global Times said Angola sent 27.9 million

barrels of oil during the month, accounting

for over 19 per cent of total oil imports to

the Asian economic giant.President José Eduardo dos Santos hasentrusted Sonangol with the task of pro-moting development hubs, previouslythe responsibility of the National Recon-struction Cabinet. He announced thetransfer of the projects of Kilamba Kiaxi,Zango and Cacuaco to Sonangol in Luanda on October 26.

Speaking at Kilamba Kiaxi, the presi-dent said Sonangol’s property-develo-ment arm, Sonangol Imobiliária, wouldtake care of all areas of the project as wellas the sale of areas and buildings inother development hubs planned forCabinda, Kuando-Kubango and Dundo.

President dos Santos also putSonangol in charge of the Luanda-BengoSpecial Economic Zone (ZEE) project.

The president said he hoped theZEE development would be co-ordi-nated with that of Kilamba Kiaxi and thatat least 14,000 people would be employed in the 70 factory unitsplanned. He added that he wanted theKilamba Kiaxi development hub to be ‘amodel’ project.

New discovery

iSto

ckp

ho

to.c

om

An

dré

Vie

ira

SU28.Sonangol News.pp34-35:SU24 29/11/10 21:46 Page 34


-year milestone35Sonangol commemorates 35 years of activities on February 25 next year. In the run-up to official anniver-sary celebrations, Universo looks at some of the com-pany’s major achievements and investment plans

Larr

y Le

e Ph

oto

gra

ph

y/C

OR

BIS

An accelerating rise in oil output, heavy investment in gas and refining, alongsidediversification into a range of new business

areas, encapsulates the Sonangol story over the lastthree and a half decades.

State-owned Sonangol has always been run on similar lines to a private company, having to meet strict standards to ensure efficiency andproductivity.

Proof that Sonangol has stepped up to the plateappears in some impressive figures, achieved regardless of having investment sidetracked by acrippling war which only ended in 2002.

Since the company was founded in 1976, justafter independence, Angola’s oil output has increased twenty-fold from around 100,000 barrelsper day (bpd) to around 2 million bpd, making it thesecond-largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Angola regularly exports significant volumes ofoil to countries in Europe, America and Asia.

Chinese customs data showed Angola to be thecountry’s largest oil supplier in August, shippingaround 30 million barrels and accounting for over19 per cent of its total foreign oil shipments.

Sonangol accepts newchallenges in deep-sea explorationSonangol is the leading oil company in Angola,holding exclusive rights to grant and control concession block leases to a host of multinationaloil- operating companies since its foundation.

It took the decision to participate more directlyin operations in 1992, and with this in mind estab-lished its own exploration and production arm Sonangol Pesquisa e Produção, known simply asSonangol P&P.

Sonangol P&P’s current output is just over100,000 bpd from fields located in the shallow waters of blocks 2 and 3. The Sonangol operating

arm has since graduated to more challenging areasof production and is now also taking part in deepwater Block 34 operations, which will have an estimated output of 200,000 bpd when it comes onstream.

Angola’s future oil supplies are increasinglyfound in its deeper waters and Sonangol P&P, withits Block 34 experience, will be well-placed to takeon a larger role in their exploitation.

Downstream: $17 billion investment in two bumperprojectsTwo of Sonangol’s major investments currently underway are the Angola Liquefied Natural Gas(ALNG) project and the Lobito oil refinery. (see boxon page 38)

Angola LNGALNG is a Sonangol partnership with Chevron andthree other international oil companies. The aim isto make more profitable use of Angolan natural gas,currently flared and a source of pollution, by lique-fying and exporting it.

Located at Soyo in Zaire Province, within easyreach of Angola’s main oil fields, construction of the$9 billion LNG plant is scheduled for completion in2012.

Once up and running, ALNG will supply thegas under a 20-year contract to a regasificationplant on the Mississippi River in the southernUnited States.

In order to operate the new plant, more than ahundred Angolan technicians are now undergoingtraining in Canada and Indonesia.

Lobito oil refinerySonangol’s second major ongoing investment is the$8 billion Lobito oil refinery. The project is part ofAngola’s strategy for reducing dependence on �

NEWS

SONANGOL:

Sonangol chairman ManuelVicente (right) welcomesPresident José Eduardodos Santos (left) to new

company HQ

Hello to the new

Goodbye to the old

of success beckons

SU28.35-years.pp36-39:SU27 29/11/10 19:40 Page 36

NEWS


Timeline

Sonangol UEE established.Angola oil production 100,000 bpd.

imported refined products such as unleaded petrol, diesel, jet fuel and LPG. Lobito will relieve pressure on the onlyexisting refinery at Luanda, which is unable to meet domestic demand for refined products. Angola currently im-ports 70 per cent of its fuel and other oilderivatives.

The new refinery will initially produce 150,000 barrels a day of refinedproducts, eventually rising to 200,000barrels a day. Located 8 km from the cityof Lobito, the refinery will be well-placedto serve central and southern Angola,given it will be connected to the Benguelarailway, which crosses the densely popu-lated plateau region around Huambo,Angola’s second city.

The first phase of refining is sched-uled to start up in 2011 and the finalphase completed in 2013.

Sonangol retail revivalAway from the dusty, relatively remotegiant construction sites of Lobito andSoyo, Sonangol’s other investment plansare already bearing fruit for all to see in Angola’s streets and towns.

Sonangol Distribuidora, the com-pany’s retail arm, has a fast-growing network of modern, eye-catching petrolservice stations.

In 2004, Sonangol Distribuidora embarked upon a five-year plan to build400 service stations throughout Angolawith initial investment of $131 million.

Thanks to the company’s efforts,queues for fuel at the country’s pumpshave been cut dramatically over the lastcouple of years.

Conscious of Sonangol’s depend-ence on the often sharply fluctuatingprice of oil, the company has adopted apolicy of diversifying activities away fromits core business.

Sonangol’s annual performance results will be presented on February 25during the company’s thirty-fifth anniversary celebrations. Universo willbe there to describe the events on the most important date on Sonangol’scalendar. �

1976

Sonangol awarded first deep-sea oil concession: Block 16.Sonangol’s acquisition of this deep-seaconcession signalled the company’s intentin being more directly involved in Angola’snew exploration and production frontiers,where most future output is expected.

1991

Sonangol P&P subsidiary setup as an oil-operating company.Sonangol’s exploration and productionarm was created in order to participate di-rectly in oil exploration and production andthus provide more local job opportunities.

1992

Sonangol P&P begins opera-tions in offshore Block 3. SonangolP&P’s first direct experiences in drilling operations start in shallow waters.

2003

Angola oil production reaches1 million bpd. Angola’s profile as a majorproducer is enhanced as it passes the million barrel per day mark.

2001

ALNG – Key facts

First Sonangol internationalsubsidiary opens in London. The ideabehind creating Sonangol Limited based inLondon was to have a physical presencein the international oil market, advertisethe Sonangol group and promote the marketing of Angolan crude oil to endusers without the expense of using intermediaries.

1983

Sonangol starts producing its own lubricant brand, Ngol. Ngol is manufactured at Sonangol Distribuidora’splant at Mulemba, Luanda. The high-techfactory has ISO 9000 environmental certifi-cation. Ngol is now available for use in a full range of engines from high performancecars to trucks, tractors and the marine market sector.

1989

Sonangol UEE becomes Sonangol E.P. Sonangol changed itsstatutes to become a public company or‘Empresa Publica’. The move enabled Sonangol to operate more like a privatecompany. The company was previouslyadministered as a directly-state controlledcompany or ‘Unidade Empresarial Estatal’.

1999

Initial capacity: 5.2 million tons ofLNG a year

Estimated cost: $9 billion

Ownership: Sonangol 22.8%,Chevron 36.4%,Total 13.6%, BP13.6% and Eni13.6%

Natural gas supplysources: offshore blocks 0, 1,2, 14, 15, 17 and 18.

Main market: United States

Sonangol P & P

Alrosa

Somoil

Total

BP

Esso

Chevron

Tullow

Vaalco

Pluspetrol

Maersk Oil

Eni

Petrobras

Cobalt

Angola oil output reaches 2 million bpd. New Luanda Sonangol Holdings HQ officially opened.

2008

NEWS

Houston, USA

London, England

Singapore

Sonangol P&P as operator produces 100,000 bpd equivalent to Angola’s total output in 1976. Angola isthe second largest oil producer in Sub Saharan Africa with estimated reserves of12.4 billion barrels. Sonangol has 9,000 employees worldwide.

2010

Sonangol officesabroad

International oilcompanies in Angola

New service stations significantly cut fuel queues

Dew

itt

Jon

es/C

OR

BIS

Pict

ure

s:So

nan

go

l

SU28.35-years.pp36-39:SU27 29/11/10 19:40 Page 38

NEWS


Mic

hel

e Fa

lzo

ne/

JAI/C

orb

is

HAPPYAs Sonangol’s Cape Verde enterprise celebrated its tenth anniversary in late October,Universo took a look at the company’s activities in the archipelago’s promising economy ➔

BIRTHDAY

SU28.CapeVerde.pp46-49:SU27 29/11/10 19:45 Page 46

Ro

ber

t H

ard

ing

/Ro

ber

t H

ard

ing

Wo

rld

Imag

ery/

Co

rbis

NEWS


The Cape Verde Islands, on the north-west Atlantic edge of Africa, havewitnessed extraordinary economic

expansion, with GDP growth peaking atnearly 12 per cent in recent years.

The country’s economy and locationare key to Sonangol’s strategy of interna-tionalising its businesses in West Africa.With this in mind, Sonangol Cabo VerdeS.A. was established ten years ago, seekingto serve this dynamic market. The work ofSonangol’s subsidiary is aided by the factthat Cape Verde, like Angola, shares Portuguese as its official language.

While the Angolan oil giant’s core busi-ness is represented by its hefty minoritystake in local oil company Empresa Nacional de Combustíveis (Enacol), Sonan-gol has diversified into other areas of the islands’ economy, such as banking, tourismand telecoms.

ArchipelagoCape Verde consists of 15 mostly mountain-ous islands located 570km from Senegal offthe West African coast. The islands aresemi-desert and although largely unsuit-able for agriculture, offer great tourism opportunities.

Cape Verde is well placed, with harbours to serve transatlantic and Africancoastal sea routes. The government is keento exploit tourism possibilities not only

from cruise ships but also by air. It hasopened two new international airports inthe last three years. There has also been extensive hotel-resort building, includingconstruction of West Africa’s largest hotelwith 1,000 beds. More resorts are in thepipeline.

An estimated 70 per cent of CapeVerde’s economy is based on services.Banking has particular importance giventhat the country’s large emigrant popula-tion – said to be greater in number than the indigenous inhabitants – supports theeconomy through remittances. Telecom-munications play a crucial role in facilitat-ing these services.

Sonangol’s locally-sourced fuel, banking, tourism and telecoms interestsare well chosen to benefit, and benefitfrom, Cape Verde’s major areas of growth.Sonangol’s subsidiary has earmarked a $30million investment in several areas of thelocal economy for the period 2011-2013.

The investment will help create theconditions for the company’s self-sustain-ability and contribute to Cape Verde’s economic and social well-being, said Joãoda Silva Neto, chairman of Sonangol CapeVerde’s board. �

Sonangol’s localfuel, banking,tourism andtelecoms interestsare well placed tobenefit, andbenefit from,Cape Verde’smajor areas ofgrowth

• Population: 506,000 (UN, 2009) • Capital: Praia • Area: 4,033 sq km (1,557 sq miles) • Major languages: Portuguese,

Crioulo (a mixture of archaic Portuguese and African words)

• Life expectancy: 68 years (men), 74years (women) (UN)

• Monetary unit: 1 Cape Verdean escudo = 100 centavos

• Main exports: shoes, clothes, fish, bananas, hides, pozzolana(volcanic rock, used to make ce-ment)

• Gross national income per capita:$3,130 (World Bank, 2008)

Source: BBC

Stake Sector

Enacol* 38.37% Oil Products

Valor Hotéis 20.00% Tourisme Turismo

BAI CV* 19.00% Banking

CVTelecom 5.05% Telecommunications

*Empresa Nacional de Combustíveis**Banco Africano de Investimentos Cabo Verde

Enacol is involved in importing, storing, distributing and selling liquidfuels, liquefied petroleum gas and lubricants. It operates in retail, whole-sale, direct client sales, energy andaviation segments.

Key facts: Cape Verde

Sonangol’s Cape Verde CompanyThe company’s Cape Verde businessoperates under the name of Sonan-gol Cabo Verde – Sociedade de In-vestimento S.A. It has been presentin the country since October 26,2000, and is a subsidiary of SonangolE.P. and SonAir.

The shareholders are SonangolSGPS with 99 per cent and SonairServiço Aéreo SARL with 1 per cent.SonAir is the air transportation armof Sonangol.

DECEMBER 2010 49

Main businesses

Enacol – Sonangol’sfuel partner

Mindelo, São Vicente,Cape Verde Islands

SU28.CapeVerde.pp46-49:SU27 29/11/10 19:45 Page 48

NEWS


ROLL OUTTHE BARRELS

Tripling oil output over the past 15 years has placed Angola neck-and-neck with Nigeria as Africa’s largest producer. Universo spoke to Ruben Costa, Sonangol’s

director of production, about developments and challenges ahead ➔

Pho

tolib

rary

SU28.RubenCosta.pp40-45:SU27 29/11/10 21:45 Page 40

As Angola moves into deeper and deeper water, it is impossiblenot to make comparisons with the Gulf of Mexico and ask the obvious “what if” questions for Angola.

“Without a doubt the Gulf of Mexico incident has affectedeverybody in the industry,” said Costa. “It doesn’t mean that we didn’t take safety seriously before, but this was a real signal to thinkagain and be even more careful with our operations.

“Now all of Sonangol’s equipment and procedures are double-checked, that is we do all our safety checks twice over – just to betotally sure.”

Angola has so far escaped any major incidents and Costa saidthe plan was to keep it that way. “We’re not saying we’ve not hadproblems, but nothing like the magnitude of what happened in theGulf of Mexico.

Peace a factor in industry success“Over the last two or three years, we’ve had three or four small incidents, some in Blocks 0 and 14 in Cabinda. The biggest one wasin Block 17 back in February 2008, but the oil that shows up on thebeach in Cabinda from time to time could just as easily come fromelsewhere, such as Congo, as was the case with the last report of oilwhich washed up there,” Costa explained.

Angola has now been at peace for nearly nine years, and under

one president for 31 years and that stability has certainly been afactor in the country’s oil industry successes. “In terms of oil busi-ness, people always recognise Angola as a very stable country,” saidCosta, “and also because we are known for honouring our con-tracts.

“The environment for investment in Angola is always very wellappreciated; we respect our promises, and we don’t change therules in the middle of things.”

He said the next step for Angola was converting the successesof its oil industry into sustainable development for the people. “Fora long time the oil business was like an island in Angola – compa-nies would bring people in just to take them offshore to the fieldsand that was it,” he said. “But the situation today is completely dif-ferent, and at Sonangol we feel that we are responsible to supportthe government in the effort for construction and local training.”

Giving the example of the Malongo compound in Cabinda, runby the Cabinda Gulf Oil Company, Chevron’s Angolan subsidiary,Costa said it was time there was more connection between oilworkers and their local community.

“A lot of services used to have to be done abroad, but now wecan do things for ourselves and we should do these things. Every-one has to be involved; it’s about investing today to see a return inthe future.” �

NEWS

DECEMBER 2010 43

NEWS


Angola was producing just over half a million barrels of oilper day (bpd) in 1995, but thanks to several large-scale,deepwater projects, output is now up to around 1.8 million

bpd, reaching levels close to those of Nigeria, Africa’s largest crudeproducer.

Sonangol’s plan is to reach a steady two million bpd, accordingto Ruben Costa, the company’s Director of Production, althoughhe emphasised that there was no race to exceed that amount.

“With all our developments we never like to jeopardise the ultimate recovery,” he cautioned. “This means all development iscarefully studied to identify the best strategy because we think ourresponsibility is not to maximise production but to optimise it.Sometimes we have complaints from the operators and, of course,we take into account economic considerations, but our drive is always to optimise production.”

Pioneering deepwater explorationNew and improved technology has been a key factor in helping Sonangol and Angola to increase production so rapidly, said Costa.

“Some wells and areas that were inaccessible ten to 15 yearsago are now available because of new technology. Some of it isbeing trialled here in Angola for the very first time, such as the risertowers and subsea separators in Block 17. We are pioneering deep-water exploration and drilling,” he said.

“Sonangol is not a conservative company. If we have a chal-lenge, we like to beat it, and all the time we are drilling deeper anddeeper, at both higher temperatures and pressures.”

The next big challenge for Sonangol will be the exploration ofAngola’s pre-salt fields. Costa is confident that with geology verysimilar to Brazil, where there have been significant pre-salt discov-eries, Angola will also find success in the deeper layer.

Discussions are already underway, he said, for pre-salt explo-ration in Blocks 23, 24, 26, 39, 40 and 41, and he hoped the compa-nies involved would be named by the end of 2010.

It was unlikely, however, that the pre-salt blocks would go upfor auction because of the geological complexity of the rock forma-tion. “Pre-salt is very capital intensive, very risky, and there aresome big technical challenges. We use companies that have enoughfinancial and technological capacity. If there are problems at theoutset, these could jeopardise future pre-salt activity.

“We estimate that it will cost $100 million to drill one pre-saltwell. For that amount, you could drill six or seven ordinary wells in

Cabinda. The development costs are higher in deeper water – andthe challenge becomes economical as well as technological.”

Significant boost in productionIf the pre-salt exploration is successful, as Costa believes it will be,Angola can expect a significant production boost. Until then, Block15, operated by Esso Angola (ExxonMobil), remains the country’slargest production operation and is set to grow further when Kizomba Satellites begin. With Block 17, run by Total, the next inline and Pazflor due to come on stream in 2011 and Clov in 2012,the two million bpd target will be easily achieved.

BP’s Block 31 in ultra-deep water is another key developmentwhich is due to start producing during 2011, with Eni’s Block 15/06likely to come on stream late 2012, early 2013.

Oil sheen is seen with vessels assisting nearthe source of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill

in the Gulf of MexicoBloomberg via Getty Images

Joel

Sar

tore

The Gulf of Mexico inci-dent has affected every-body... Now we do all oursafety checks twice over– just to be totally sure“

”



NEWS

Date of birth:

Place of birth:

1986:

1987-1992:

1992-2010:

Ruben Monteiro da Costa

Sonangol Reservoir Engineer (1992-2000)Head of Production Department (2000-2002) Head of Facilities Department (2003-2006)Production Director (2006-2010)

Cabinda Gulf Oil Company CABGOC (Chevron) on secondment from Sonangol Petroleum Engineer (1987-1989) Production Foreman (1989-1991)Reservoir Engineer (1992)

Training on Elf Aquitaine Angola in drilling

Petroleum Engineer graduate at Universidade Agostinho Neto in Luanda

Sumbe, Angola

February 2nd 1961

Kam

ene

M T

raça



INSIDE ANGOLAThe coastal road from Luanda to Lobito offers oases of serenity and understated beauty. The River Keve slowly meandering across itsflood plain south of Porto Amboim is a priceless example. �

PMP

Glo

bal

SU28.big picture.pp50-51:SU26 29/11/10 19:43 Page 50

SON

AN

GO

L UN

IVER

SO

ISSUE 28 – D

ECEM

BER2010

Universo

INSIDE:oil and gas news

DECEMBER 2010

Sonangol celebratesaccelerating growth

Angola delightsShanghai Expo

ArtattackLuanda Triennial enchants

Rail revivalreunites Angola

SU28-cover:Layout 1 29/11/10 19:36 Page 1

su28-cover:layout 1 29/11/10 19:36 page 1 universocapital’s spirit and sensibilities. 26 angola...

Documents