Ricardo Do Amaral, general manager of Octomar, talks to The Energy Year about the company’s assistance to operators developing their assets and its projects with the Angolan Ministry of Environment. Octomar is an Angolan diving and marine services company offering a variety of offshore tanker terminal and FPSO support services, as well as marine and subsea services and vessels.
How is Octomar assisting operators in developing their assets?
Etu Energias kept Octomar reasonably busy in 2022 and early 2023. Their target is to increase production in their offshore Block 2/05. It’s a marginal field that Etu Energias acquired from Sonangol, and Sonangol had previously taken over the operatorship of this block from ChevronTexaco many years ago.
It’s a field with old production assets that require a lot of inspection to determine their integrity and viability for refurbishment to prolong their lifespan and to support current production and future increased production. There are new structures being installed as part of the refurbishment plan that is ongoing on the existing structures.Octomar is involved in a large project now with Etu Energias where we have to install a bridge between two platforms. It is a complex operation because of the dynamics regarding the transfer of a heavy and long bridge – 30 tonnes and 48 metres long.
Octomar will use a dynamic positioning vessel equipped with a 250-tonne crane to install this bridge between two platforms offshore.The complexity of installing the bridge in potential adverse offshore weather conditions requires a thorough engineering study and risk evaluation to ensure that the installation is executed safely and successfully.Octomar performed an inspection campaign on the two FPSO units and respective mooring lines up to 2,000 metres deep at offshore Block 32. We know these two offshore production facilities’ operational conditions reasonably well since we were originally involved in the provision of subsea services during the installation phase of these two units.
How are your projects with the Ministry of Environment progressing?
Following our memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Environment, Octomar has been asked to perform the technical and financial study to remove the sunken vessels and wrecks along the coast north of Luanda. The Angolan government wants this area of the coast cleaned up and free of any potential environmental hazards.This project may be self-financed to a certain extent because the scrap that will be removed from the coast can be sold to foundries that require scrap material for processing and reuse.
How are Octomar’s technological capabilities going to progress in the future?
We are seeing international technology providers interested in entering the Angolan market, especially American companies. They are averse to risk, and now they’re looking at partners to grow their business in Angola. New technology will be used to provide topside inspection and to improve maintenance capacity.
We focus on subsea and are therefore investigating new technologies to reduce the operating costs of offshore production facilities. Although our core business is the subsea sector, now we’re looking at creating synergies between the subsea and topside sectors.
Topside is a sector that forms part of our growth strategy. We do not currently have the know-how nor the track record to service the topside sector of the offshore oil industry, but it’s a sector that we believe we can easily penetrate and support with our existing structure.
How well positioned is Octomar for capturing subsea work in the coming years?
We are known for the excellent business ethics with which we conduct our business in Angola.
In addition, we have the licences to provide all subsea services to the oil and gas industry. We are also one of the few companies that has the licence to operate and manage vessels independently in Angola. Since we are completely independent, vessel owners are more confident in working with Octomar when they place their vessels in Angola to support subsea projects.
We have over 25 years of experience in the market, and we have a very good logistics department when it comes to importing vessels, equipment and goods. Foreign companies that want to operate in Angola are assured when they see a potential partner with a solid logistics department that can support their future operations in Angola.
What are some of the investments that you’re planning to make in the coming years?
We are looking to invest in new fast crew vessels to grow our own fleet of vessels in this sector. Octomar has the structure in Angola with the experience and track record to manage and operate these types of vessels efficiently and cost effectively. This structure can also support the expansion and growth of Octomar in this vessel market sector in other markets in West Africa.
What are the key updates on Octomar’s geographical expansion drive?
We are starting a project in Côte d’Ivoire with Eni for our client Saipem. We were invited to bid, and we signed the contract in May 2023. The scope is to support the installation and commissioning operations of the first FPSO in Côte d’Ivoire. After various visits to Abidjan, we also found that there are many potential additional market opportunities for growing our business in Côte d’Ivoire.
There is a second FPSO and an FSO that are going to be installed at the beginning of 2025. If we do a good job now – which we will do – we will most likely be contracted for the second FPSO.Some entities have been interested in forming partnerships with Octomar to enhance their service capability for the oil and gas industry in Côte d’Ivoire. The operation and management of vessels that support the oil and gas industry is a potential market. We have that track record and experience in Angola and can take this experience to Côte d’Ivoire.
Where do you see the company in five years?
We want to grow Octomar outside of Angola while consolidating our position in Angola. We cannot lose focus on our strength. Nevertheless, we have secured the first project in Côte d’Ivoire and will ensure that it is successful to promote further growth there.
We have identified Namibia as a country for future potential growth. We are discussing with potential stakeholders to set up in Namibia to support the country’s future oil and gas industry. I believe it will be easy for us to operate in Namibia, not only because of its proximity. Namibia has well developed and organised infrastructure in most sectors, including its financial, judicial, education and health systems. Therefore, it is relatively easy to operate in.We are participating in tenders for potential projects outside Angola with the objective to be operating outside of Angola in five years.
Source:https://theenergyyear.com
