Sonangol News

The Iran war has threatened Gulf ports and disrupted global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned that ships passing through the narrow Strait will be targeted, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on the country on February 28.Below is a list of reported attacks:MARCH 1A crew member was killed on board Marshall Islands-flagged crude tanker MKD VYOM after it was hit by a projectile as the vessel sailed off the Omani coast…

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has threatened Gulf ports and disrupted global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned that any ship passing through the narrow Strait will be targeted.Below is a list of reported attacks since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran started on February 28:MARCH 1A crew member was killed on board Marshall Islands-flagged crude tanker MKD VYOM after it was hit by a projectile as the vessel sailed off the Omani coast…

Seadrill has announced that Sonadrill Holding, its 50:50 joint venture with an affiliate of Sonangol E.P., has been awarded a contract extension.A seven-well priced option for the ultra-deepwater drillship Sonangol Quenguela has been exercised, extending operations in Angola by approximately 480 days and committing the rig into June 2028.Seadrill earns a management fee for providing management, operational and technical support to Sonadrill.

GTT has received an order from HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) for the tank design of a new liquefied natural gas carrier.The vessel will be built by the shipyard HD Hyundai Samho on behalf of the shipowner Sonangol. The vessel’s cryogenic tanks, with a total capacity of 174,000 m³, will be fitted with GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane containment system.Delivery of the vessel is scheduled for the second quarter of 2028.

Angola's state oil company Sonangol is talking to Chinese financial institutions to secure a $4.8 billion loan to partly finance the construction of a new refinery in the Atlantic sea port of Lobito, it said on Wednesday.The financing, if completed, will mark the first borrowing by the Southern African oil producer from China since 2017, when it opted to reduce its exposure to resource-backed loans.The company was engaging with "financial institutions in China" to secure funding for one phase of the $6.2 billion…

Seadrill Limited has been awarded contracts for the West Neptune, Sevan Louisiana, and Sonangol Quenguela.In the U.S. Gulf, the West Neptune was awarded a contract with LLOG Exploration. The four-month program is expected to commence in direct continuation to the current contract, adding approximately $48 million to backlog.Also in the U.S. Gulf, the Sevan Louisiana received an award from an undisclosed operator for a two-month program which is expected to commence in direct continuation to the current contract with Walter Oil and Gas.

Seadrill Limited announced its third quarter 2025 results.Quarterly Highlights:Secured contract awards across five rigs, adding over $300 million to Order Backlog.West Gemini, Sonangol Libongos and Sonangol Quenguela secured an estimated 1,000 days of incremental work in Angola, extending the longevity of the Sonadrill joint venture.West Vela was awarded two contracts in the U.S. Gulf, adding over four months in firm term, securing the rig into the second half of 2026.Sevan Louisiana received an award in the U.S.

Esgian's last roundup of the year for the Week 52 puts spotlight on new developments for Dolphin Drilling semisub, Seadrill drillships, as well as Shell’s plans for Australia and ONGC’s new tender for jackups in India.ContractsDolphin Drilling has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with an undisclosed operator for the 1,500-ft semisubmersible Borgland Dolphin to undertake a 500-day drilling campaign in the UK. The drilling campaign is planned to begin directly after the firm part of the contract period with EnQuest, which was announced in late November 2023.

Concordia Maritime announced on Wednesday it has entered into an agreement for the sale of the 158,000 dwt Suezmax tanker Stena Supreme. Delivery is expected in June 2022.The 2012-built Stena Supreme has been bareboat chartered in by Concordia Maritime since 2016, under a sale and leaseback arrangement, from "one of Japan’s largest shipping companies", Concordia Maritime said. The contract contains annual purchase options, which Concordia Maritime has now elected to exercise.The vessel has been employed in the spot market through the Stena Sonangol Suezmax Pool, and its sale will have a positive liquidity effect of approximately $4 million…

Is neo-colonialism in the Gulf of Guinea the answer to West Africa’s maritime crime crisis?In October 2020, China’s transport ministry established an ad hoc workgroup to lay down precautionary measures for ships and seafarers passing through high piracy risk West African waters.The move came as China told its vessels to up vigilance and implement a series of precautionary measures to ensure the security of ocea-going vessels and seafarers amid rising attacks and a surge in kidnaps in the Gulf of Guinea.Plans outlined by Wu Chungeng…

Brazil continues to drive global floating production storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs) deployment with 21 planned and announced FPSOs during the period 2019 to 2025, according to GlobalData.Brazil is expected to deploy a total of 11 planned and ten announced FPSOs by 2025. The crude oil production capacity of these upcoming FPSOs is expected to be 2.5 million barrels per day (mmbd) during the outlook period. In Brazil, FPSOs are being deployed to develop hydrocarbons in the Santos and Campos basins.Brazilian state-controlled oil, natural gas and energy giant Petroleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) is expected to deploy six planned and nine announced FPSOs by 2025.

Sellers returned to the window on Monday to entice buyers spooked by high freight rates due to Washington's sanctions on subsidiaries of a major Chinese shipping firm at the end of September.Long-haul rates to Asia have risen sharply prompting refiners to shed some cargoes.China's Unipec offered four cargoes in the window for a third session all November loading on a fob basis. These were Angolan Saturno at dated Brent plus 35 cents, Dalia at dated Brent plus $1.90, Mostarda at…

One million barrels of Alaskan crude is due in China next week, the first such shipment in almost a year, according to data from Refinitiv Eikon and vessel-tracking firm Kpler.China's imports of U.S. crude have fallen amid the two countries' trade dispute to 41,600 barrels per day (bpd) in the six months ended February, from 377,000 bpd in the first half of 2018, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.Tanker Sonangol Cabinda departed last week from Alaska's Valdez terminal carrying Alaska North Slope (ANS) crude and is projected to arrive June 6 in Qingdao, a hub of independent refiners in east China, the data showed.It could not be immediately learned who sold the crude.

The deepwater drilling contractor Seadrill said that its contract backlog, as of May 23, 2019, totaled approximately $1.9 billion.The drilling services provider said it has added $130 million of additional backlog from March, including the AOD I award of a three year follow on contract with Saudi Aramco keeping the unit employed until June 2022, which adds approximately $82 million in backlog.In addition, Equinor exercised two options for the West Hercules in Norway adding approximately $17 million in backlog. The unit is expected to be employed until the first quarter of 2020.The West Telesto was awarded a six firm plus two option well contract in Malaysia.

Angola state oil company Sonangol has taken delivery of Libongos, the first of two new drillships built by Korean shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering (DSME).The new seventh-generation drillship, christened March 21 in Busan, is capable of operating in deep, ultra-deep and pre-salt waters and will be available to carry out national and international work, Sonangol said.Sonangol president Carlos Saturnino, said, "Having now in our hands a drill rig, whose specifications allow us to overcome the challenges of the new exploration and production frontiers…

Eni president Claudio Descalzi has met Angola's president Joao Goncalves Lourenco in Luanda to discuss the Italian energy giant's operations in the country.During the meeting with President João Lourenço, Claudio Descalzi said that they discussed the participation of the Italian multinational in the studies and exploration of crude oil and in other sector-related projects.ENI plans to spend billions of dollars in exploration and development of new offshore areas next year, he has informed.In the sidelines of the meeting, Eni and Sonangol signed an amendment of Block 15/06 Production Sharing Contract which defines the new perimeter of the block, now covering an additional area of 400 km2 on the west side.

Tanker owner Concordia Maritime announced it has moved to strengthen its positions in the crude oil segment by chartering in another suezmax vessel.The 158,000 dwt suezmax vessel that has been chartered in was built in Korea in 2015. As with previous charters, this is a joint charter with Stena Bulk, and Concordia Maritime’s share amounts to 50 percent. The contract is for 12 months, and the vessel will be employed on the spot market through the Stena Sonangol Suezmax Pool from July.Kim Ullman, CEO of Concordia Maritime, said, “We continue to act based on our belief in a progressively stronger market from autumn 2018 onwards, and we have now brought in a total of four suezmax vessels on 50 percent charters.

Over the last six months, Stena Bulk has expanded its fleet in the Sonangol Suezmax pool with the addition of six Suezmax tankers: SKS Skeena, Istanbul, Almi Galaxy, Almi Voyager and Almi Sky. The TC in fleet consists of modern tonnage of varying length and with different options.“In what has generally speaking been a stable low market, we have recently seen opportunities to utilize our business model in the current market,” said Erik Hånell, president and CEO, Stena Bulk. “With our successful commercial management…

As a further step in fleet positioning ahead of the gradually stronger market that is expected, Concordia Maritime has decided to participate in three suezmax tankers chartered in by Stena Bulk. The 158,000 dwt vessels were built in Korea in the period 2012-2014. The contracts are for 12 months, with an option to extend until the end of 2019. After delivery in May and July, the vessels will be employed on the spot market through the successful Stena Sonangol Suezmax Pool. Concordia Maritime's share in the vessel charters is 50%. The contracts also include a profit-sharing clause with the contractual partner. "We continue to act based on our belief in a progressively stronger market from autumn 2018 onwards.

To prepare for a gradually strenghthening tanker market, Concordia Maritime decided to participate in three suezmax tankers chartered in by Stena Bulk. The 158,000 dwt vessels were built in Korea between 2012-2014. The contracts are for 12 months, with an option to extend until the end of 2019. After delivery in May and July, the vessels will be employed on the spot market through the Stena Sonangol Suezmax Pool. Concordia Maritime’s share in the vessel charters is 50%. The contracts also include a profit-sharing clause with the contractual partner. “We continue to act based on our belief in a progressively stronger market from autumn 2018 onwards.

Total and its partners have taken the final investment decision to launch the Zinia 2 deep offshore development in Block 17, 150 kilometers offshore Angola. The Zinia 2 project will have a production capacity of 40,000 barrels per day (b/d), sustaining Pazflor field production, on stream since 2011. Zinia 2 is the first of several possible short-cycle developments on Block 17 that will unlock its full potential by connecting satellite reservoirs to the existing floating storage, production and offloading (FPSO) units. “Zinia 2 opens a new chapter in the history of Block 17. This project will allow to extend the profitability of this prolific block, with over 2.6 billion barrels already produced.

Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA has completed its first ship-to-ship (STS) transfer designed to ease a severe bottleneck of tankers around its main crude ports, according to sources close to the operation and Reuters vessel tracking data.PDVSA has notified customers in recent days that they must agree to load crude in Venezuela's open waters rather than its ports to avoid a possible declaration of force majeure that would temporarily interrupt some of its supply contracts.The Suezmax tanker Sonangol Kalandula, bound for Tipco Asphalt's refinery in Kemaman, Malaysia, has not yet set sail. The vessel had been waiting since February to load Venezuelan Boscan heavy crude, according to the data.(Reporting by Mircely Guanipa and Marianna Parraga Editing by Leslie Adler)

Nigerian crude sells into tenders, while Angolan trades more quickly on spot. * ExxonMobil had purchased two of the three Olombendo cargoes sold this week, traders said. * All three are likely to sail to the Mediterranean or the United States rather than China, the usual destination. * Angola's Sonangol sold its cargo of Dalia, which it had been offering at dated Brent minus 70 cents a barrel. The buyer was not clear, but traders said it was a western company rather than Asian. * Statoil had also sold a cargo of Angola's Saturno. * Sonangol was still offering another cargo of Dalia at dated Brent minus 70 cents a barrel and a cargo of Saxi at dated Brent plus 75 cents a barrel. * Nigerian crude cargoes Erha and Forcados were selling into tenders, but spot trade was limited.