Angola Launches Kaminho Offshore Project in Kwanza Basin, Pioneering Deepwater Development
The Angolan Government, in partnership with a consortium led by TotalEnergies, has officially begun the construction phase of the Kaminho Project—the country’s first offshore oil development in the Kwanza Basin—marking a major milestone in Angola’s deepwater exploration sector.
According to the National Oil, Gas, and Biofuels Agency (ANPG), activities at Petromar began last week with the fabrication of over 5,500 tons of metal structures for the FPSO (Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading Unit) and SURF (subsea system) packages, representing more than 1.2 million work hours. Impressively, 94 percent of the workforce consists of qualified Angolan professionals.
The construction plan also includes 12 vertical suction anchors, each weighing 170 tons and standing 24 meters tall, along with an 80-meter-long flowline protector for the FPSO.
The “first steel cutting” ceremony, held at the Petromar shipyard in Ambriz, Bengo province, officially marked the project’s launch.
Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil, and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, presided over the event, describing it as “a turning point for the Angolan oil industry.”
“This is the first offshore development in the Kwanza Basin, an area that, despite past challenges, now has a promising future.
The Kaminho Project brings new life to the basin and will undoubtedly encourage further exploration investments,” said Minister Azevedo, highlighting that the project aligns with the government’s strategy to maintain national oil production above one million barrels per day by 2027.
The Kaminho Project focuses on developing the Cameia and Golfinho fields, located approximately 100 kilometers off Angola’s coast at a depth of 1,700 meters.
The project is expected to produce 70,000 barrels of oil per day and involves an estimated investment of six billion dollars.
TotalEnergies confirmed that the Kaminho FPSO will be a next-generation, energy-efficient facility capable of integrating post-combustion carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, potentially preventing the emission of approximately eight million tons of CO₂ over its operational life.
The Block 20/11 consortium is composed of TotalEnergies (40 percent), Petronas (40 percent), and Sonangol (20 percent), reflecting a strong international collaboration in Angola’s deepwater oil sector.
