The Cabinda Refinery equipment was tested on May 2, in Houston, at the facilities of VFuels, the company responsible for its construction. The result of the Factory Acceptance Test was positive, followed, now, by the shipping phase to Angola and, later on, its assembly in Cabinda.
The Factory Acceptance Test verifies and certifies that the equipment produced and packaged meets the functionality and the defined objectives, before delivery at the destination, being one of the decisive moments in the construction of all refineries similar to the one in Cabinda. Among other innovations of this equipment, a highlight is the construction of a modular unit of 30,000 crude oil distillation of a single line built to date worldwide, and which is an integral part of the Cabinda Refinery.
After the tests were completed, the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino de Azevedo, underlined that this is a fundamental moment for the global implementation of the strategy defined by the Government, which aims at the country’s independence in terms of its own production of petroleum products. “This is, in fact, a crucial step for the Cabinda refinery to start production and, at the same time, for the pursuit of the objectives that we defined at the beginning of our functions”.
Sonangol’s CEO, Gaspar Martins, said that this is a very important milestone for the country’s refining strategy, “which aims – as our Minister emphasized – the country’s independence from the import of refined products”. We are going to use our natural resources to produce refined products on Angolan soil, with Angolan citizens”.
Atanas Bostandjev, CEO of Gemcorp, expressed his satisfaction with the results achieved and, above all, with the end of a stage that is crucial for the Cabinda Refinery to start operating this year. “Gemcorp has focused on contributing to the development of Angola and its economy, with the Cabinda Refinery being one of our most relevant projects, as it will change the paradigm of the oil & gas sector in the country. We therefore know that this is the right path and that Gemcorp will remain committed to its timely completion on the estimated time” he said.
Cabinda Refinery, a project valued at US$1 billion, will have an installed processing capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, after completing its three implementation phases, which will transform it into a total conversion refinery capable of producing gasoline, diesel, LPG, fuel oil, and Jet A1. Throughout this process, it is estimated that 1300 jobs will be created, between the construction, assembly and operation of the refinery, most of which will be allocated to the population of the province.
This project represents a fundamental step towards the economic development of Angola, since the increase in the internal capacity to process crude oil reduces the country’s dependence on imports and contributes to considerable foreign exchange savings. Furthermore, it is a relevant example of international cooperation for development and technological specialization between the United States and Angola.
