Angolan oil operations boost Cape revenue in South Africa

South Africa 01-31-2007

Rounding the Cape late last week was the BP-operated floating production, storage and off-take (FPSO) vessel Greater Plutonia, en route from her builder's yard in Korea to the Block 18 oilfield off the Angolan coast.

Reports indicate that she will produce about 200 000 barrels a day from a field that has at least six pockets displaying potential for high yield.

Larger than FPSO Dalia that dominated the Cape Town dockland skyline for three months last year before being towed to Angola, Greater Plutonia and other capital-intensive structures are evidence of the scale of investment in Angolan oilfields as countries, notably the United States and China, move to reduce their dependence on Middle Eastern oil.

Greater Plutonia is being towed by three tugs operated by the Singapore-based Semco Salvage & Marine, which in recent years have towed a variety of offshore oil installations past South Africa heading for or from West Africa or South America.

Besides the Greater Plutonia towing operation that began in Korea several weeks ago, Semco has another tug - the newly-commissioned Salvision - off the coast, towing an accommodation barge to West Africa.

A jack-up rig was visible off the Atlantic coast for several days recently as she was held by another tug while the towing tug refuelled in Cape Town.

Although many tugs and tows rounding the Cape do not call here, others refuel, take on stores and spares or change crews in Cape Town. The port has also seen crane barges, seismic survey ships, pipelayers, drillships and other unusual vessels, all involved in operations off West Africa.

Besides the revenue earned by the port, the offshore oil and gas sector provides a multimillion dollar income for ship repair consortia and their sub-contractors, while a range of ancillary services - ships' agents, chandlers, bunker companies, hotels and others - also benefit.

Helicopter services and offshore launch operators often carry stores, personnel and mail to those vessels not calling at Cape Town.

A large repair and construction facility for vessels associated with the West African oilfields is planned for Saldanha Bay while A Berth in Cape Town harbour will be geared for maintenance work for the offshore sector.

However, the installation of a floating dock in Walvis Bay has potential to capture much of the work on smaller ships such as rig tenders working off Angola and fishing vessels.