Angola's oil industry

Angola, "sub-Saharan Africa's second largest oil producer behind Nigeria," "lies on the southern curve of the Gulf of Guinea, anchoring an oil-rich geologic shelf running across the Atlantic from Brazil that has turned Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon into major crude exporters." 

The United States "imports more oil from Angola than from Kuwait." The U.S. is "expected to import 25 percent of its oil from Africa by 2015. Whether it will export democracy and stability in return is another question â?? one that will most likely be answered by the way in which American oil companies and the United States conduct business with countries like Angola." 
 * United States

In February 2006, Angola replaced Saudi Arabia as "oil-hungry" China's "top source of crude imports," shipping 2.12-million tonnes of crude to China, exceeding Saudi Arabia's 1.98-million tonnes, Petromatrix Gmbh, "a trade advisory and risk management company," said. In January 2006, Angola was "China's third-biggest supplier," shipping 1.55-million tonnes of crude, behind Iran's 1.89-million tonnes and 1.55-million tonnes shipped by Saudi Arabia, the world's top crude exporter, Petromatrix said."
 * China

"'Chinese imports of Angolan crude are up 42% on year and taking most [of] the Angolan production increase,' the analyst said." 

Background
"Oil was first discovered in Angola in 1955, but production did not really start to climb until the discovery of oil offshore Cabinda in the 1960s." 

Angola has divided its "exclusive maritime economic zone into 76 oil blocks," of which 35 are active. "Block Zero, the main oil-producing block offshore Cabinda, still accounts for more than half of Angola's oil production, producing about 550,000 bpd." 

"Significant discoveries have been made in Blocks 14, 15, 17 and 18 since the mid 1990's." "Crude reserves also are located onshore around the city of Soyo, offshore in the Kwanza Basin north of Luanda, and offshore of the northern coast." 

Oil-Dependent Economy
MBendi reports that Angola's oil industry and oil derivatives industry account for "91.92 percent of total exports. Petroleum and petroleum products generated nearly $9.7 billion in State revenues in 2004. Angola is a key player in Africa's oil industry as both a major producer and exporter. It is the second largest producer of oil in Sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria and offshore Angola is recognised as a world-class area for oil exploration and production. Angola produces crude oils that have an API gravity ranging from 32 degrees to 39.5 degrees and a sulphur content of 1.12% to 0.14%.

"Angola's economy is highly dependent on the oil sector, which accounts for 40% of GDP and 80% of government revenues." Sonangol, the national oil company of Angola, "was established in 1976 and manages all fuel production and distribution in Angola." 

Foreign

 * Agip Angola Production B.V. (Italy)
 * BP Angola
 * BP Petroleum Development Ltd
 * CNR International (Canadian Natural Resources Limited changed the name of its subsidiary, Ranger Oil (U.K.) Limited to CNR International (U.K.) Limited ("CNR International") in 2001.)
 * ChevronTexaco (US) In 2004, pumped 60% of Angola's oil, "more than half of which is exported to the United States--the company expects to double its oil production there by 2008."
 * Esso Exploration Angola Limited (US)
 * ExxonMobil (US)
 * Marathon International Petroleum (Marathon Group) (US)
 * Norsk Hydro ASA (Norway)
 * Occidental Petroleum
 * Odebrecht Oil & Gas Services Ltd (UK)
 * Petrobras (Petroleo Brasileiro SA) (Brazil)
 * Petroplus Africa Limited (Dutch Petroplus and Canadian Diamond Works Ltd)
 * Royal Dutch/Shell (Shell Group)
 * Statoil (Den Norske Stats Oijeseiskap a.s.) (Norway)
 * TotalFinaElf (France) Total is Unocal's French partner.

Domestic

 * Cabinda Gulf Oil Company (a ChevronTexaco subsidiary and the operator of the Block Zero fields since 1955)
 * Empressa Servicos Sondagems Angola
 * Sonangalp
 * Sonangol (Sociedade Nacional de Combustiveis de Angola)
 * Sonangol P&P (Sonangol Pesquisa e Producao SARL)

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * African Oil Policy Initiative Group
 * Angolan Petroleum Ministry
 * Chad/Cameroon Development Project
 * China's oil industry
 * Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa
 * Halliburton Company
 * Horn of Africa
 * India's oil industry
 * Nigeria's oil industry
 * Pax Americana, Africa

Profiles

 * International Spotlight: Angola: "Cabinda: Oil â?? Block Buster," Washington Post, undated.
 * "Angola's Oil Exploration/Production Blocks," U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration, January 2005.

Maps

 * Angola Maps, Perry-CastaÃ±eda Library Map Collection, University of Texas.
 * Angola, WorldAtlas.com.

Undated

 * "Kizomba Deepwater Project, Angola," ExxonMobil (Offshore-Technology.com), undated (2003 or 2004).

1998

 * Anna Richardson, "Oil fuels Angola's civil war," BBC, November 4, 1998.

1999

 * "A war fuelled by the earth's riches," BBC, January 3, 1999.
 * Jane Standley, "Oil firms 'funding' Angolan conflict," BBC, December 5, 1999.
 * Lara Pawson, "Angola fights oil corruption allegations," BBC, December 9, 1999.
 * Alex Vines, "Oil and diamonds fuel war in Angola," Amnesty International (UK), Autumn 1999/Winter 2000.

2000

 * "The IMF and Angola: Oil and Human Rights," Human Rights Watch, June 2000.

2001

 * "Angola: Oil Revenue To Feed The Displaced," Refugees International, January 11, 2001.
 * "BP's Angolan oil interest," BBC, February 13, 2001.
 * "The Oil Diagnostic in Angola: An Update. Complete Report," Human Rights Watch (Inter-Church Coalition on Africa), March 2001.
 * "BP to pour $7bn into Angola," BBC, August 2, 2001.
 * "BP fails to strike Angolan oil," BBC, December 3, 2001.

2002

 * Jeremy Scott-Joynt, "Oil and diamonds after Savimbi," BBC, February 25, 2002.
 * "West 'creates' conditions for corruption," BBC, March 25, 2002.
 * Toby McIntosh, "Angola Oil Revenues: A Hidden Report," ifti watch (FreedomInfo.org), June 2002.
 * "Angola fines Chevron for pollution," BBC, July 1, 2002.
 * "ExxonMobil Angola Affiliate Makes Thirteenth Deepwater Oil Discovery on Angola Block 15," ExxonMobil.com, September 26, 2002.
 * Chris Fagan, "Bush's search for black gold" [in West Africa], International Socialist Review (ThirdWorldTraveler.com), November/December 2002.
 * Phillip van Niekerk and Laura Peterson, "Greasing the Skids of Corruption," Center for Public Integrity, November 4, 2002.
 * "Angola's oil output 'to double'," BBC, December 5, 2002.

2003

 * Dominique Schwartz, Synopsis: "Angola Oil," Foreign Correspondent / ABC News (Australia), Broadcast April 15, 2003. (Lead Story, Series 12, Episode 27); Transcript.
 * "IMF probes Angola's oil sales," BBC, April 30, 2003.
 * Press Release: "Will Angola finally publish its oil accounts?" Global Witness, June 20, 2003.
 * "ANGOLA: Focus on oil industry transparency," IRIN, June 20, 2003.
 * Daphne Eviatar, "Can Profits Promote Democracy in Africa?" International Reporting Project, Fall 2003 (Reprinted with permission of The New York Times.)
 * News Release: "ExxonMobil Begins First Deepwater Production Offshore Angola Block 15," ExxonMobil, December 4, 2003.
 * "Angola: Oil - curse or cure-all?" IRIN, December 12, 2003.
 * "Angola's Oil Profits," New York Times, December 13, 2003.

2004

 * "Extreme Oil: Angola," PBS Thirteen/WNET New York, 2004.
 * "Some Transparency, No Accountability: The Use of Oil Revenue in Angola and Its Impact on Human Rights," Human Rights Watch, January 2004.
 * "Angola: Oil and Accountability," AfricaFocus Bulletin, January 16, 2004.
 * Daphne Eviatar, "Africa's Oil Tycoons," The Nation, March 25, 2004 (posted), April 12, 2004 (issue).
 * "Angola oil industry needs more transparency-report," Reuters (Forbes), May 12, 2004.
 * "Angola's Elusive Oil Riches," New York Times (Energy Bulletin), June 15, 2004.
 * "Oil: The World Over a Barrel: The Riches of Angola," CBC News Documentary (Canada), August 4, 2004.
 * Trevor Grundy, "Poor want answers on Angola's oil cash," The Scotsman, September 11, 2004.
 * "SA firm begins work on R200m Angola oil contract," Mining Weekly (South Africa), September 17, 2004.
 * Barry Mason, "Documentary focuses on struggle to control Angolaâ??s oil," WSWS.org, November 5, 2004.
 * Rafael Marques, "Angola's Oil Curse," AlterNet, December 17, 2004.

2005

 * "More oil found offshore Angola," Xinhua News Agency (People's Daily Online (China)), July 26, 2005.
 * "Angola, BP announce discovery of new offshore oil," Xinhua (People's Daily Online (China)), August 12, 2005.
 * "Investment opportunities emerge in oil-rich Africa," Xinhua (People's Daily Online), September 27, 2005.
 * "Angolan state oil firm launches seven offshore block auctions," Xinhua (People's Daily Online), October 19, 2005.
 * "New deep waters oil discovery announced in Angola," Xinhua (People's Daily Online), October 22, 2005.
 * "Angola's new oil refinery project to be completed by 2010," Xinhua (People's Daily Online), December 6, 2005.
 * "Price rise and new deep-water technology opened up offshore drilling," Boston Globe, December 11, 2005.
 * John Donnelly, "Oil wealth helping few of Angola's poor. Vast reserves cannot undo legacy of war, corruption," Boston Globe, December 11, 2005.

2006

 * "Angola's oil production hits 1.3 million barrels daily in 2005," Xinhua (People's Daily Online), January 6, 2006.
 * "Angola: Oil rich but dirt poor," IRIN (Political Affairs Magazine), January 10, 2006.
 * "Angola's Cabinda has more onshore than offshore oil," A Semana/afrol News, February 1, 2006.
 * "First condensate from Angola's Sanha field," afrol News, March 1, 2006.
 * "Angola becomes oil-hungry China's top source of crude," Mail & Guardian Online (South Africa), March 30, 2006.
 * "China, Angola sign 9 cooperation agreements," afrol News, April 7, 2006.
 * Carole Landry, "Angola's oil province on difficult quest for peace," World Security Network.com, April 11, 2006.
 * "Angola: Oil Sector Technical Development Follow-Up Defended," Angola Press Agency (allAfrica.com), April 24, 2006.
 * "Cabinda (Angola) sells oil licences on 'freed territory'," afrol News, April 26, 2006.
 * "99.4% of Angola's exports are oil, diamonds," afrol News, May 2, 2006.
 * "Angola doubled oil revenues in 2005," afrol News, May 5, 2006.
 * "BP finds more oil in Angola," AFX News Limited (Forbes), May 5, 2006.
 * "BP Makes Tenth Oil Discovery in the Ultra-deep Water Block 31 Angola," BP Global, May 5, 2006.
 * "India proposes joint oil exploration with Angola," New Kerala (India), May 10, 2006. re ONGC Videsh Ltd.
 * "Angola invites India to explore for oil," UPI, May 12, 2006.
 * "Angola: Reseves in Blocks 17 and 18 Estimated at One Billion Barrels," Xinhua (RigZone), May 12, 2006.
 * "Management of Angolaâ??s oil revenue internationally praised, minister says," MacauHub.com, May 17, 2006.
 * "Pertobras wins three Angola oil exploration blocks," El Financiero, May 17, 2006.
 * "Weekly Offshore Rig Review: Angling for Angola," RigZone, May 18, 2006.

2007

 * "Total and Sonangol strike pay again off Angola," EnergyCurrent, December 3, 2007.