The proposed Angola LNG Project will involve collecting natural gas from offshore oil and gas production facilities and delivering it through pipelines to onshore LNG process facilities. The LNG process facilities will be located on the south bank of the Congo River, on the northern shoreline of Kwanda Island in the Soyo area of the Zaire Province. The onshore facilities will be located
inside the boundaries of the existing Kwanda Base.
For Angola LNG, the base will also be expanded into the Baía de Diogo Cão by filling about 100 hectares of the bay with sand to create new land in a process referred to as land reclamation. As shown on the map below, this reclaimed area is small relative to the area of the bay.
Approximately 900 million cubic feet per day of associated and non-associated gas from Blocks 0, 1, 2,
14, 15, 17 and 18 will be collected and transported from offshore production facilities to the proposed LNG plant.
A portion of the gas (currently anticipated to be 75 million cubic feet per day) will be made available for use locally, promoting the development of other industries in the Soyo region that could not otherwise develop without a gas supply. The remaining gas will be used to produce
LNG as well as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and condensates. The plant will initially have one train of five million tonnes per year of LNG production capacity. LNG will be delivered to regasification facilities in the U.S. The gas will go into the U.S. market and possibly other Atlantic Basin markets.
Aerial view of Kwanda Island showing proposed Angola LNG site.
In addition to the LNG process facilities, a marine terminal will be built with two dedicated marine berths, one for LNG only and one for LPG and condensate.
Offshore Blocks where gas will be gathered to supply LNG Plant.
These berths will be located on the north side of the plant where the LNG tankers (expected to be in the range of 250 to 300 m in length) and other vessels will load product. To allow the vessels to approach Kwanda Island, the existing shipping channel between the Ponta de Padrão and Kwanda Island will be widened and deepened to 14 m deep and 250 m wide. A new dedicated turning area will also be dredged in the Pululu Channel.
The LNG Project will also include permanent onshore supporting facilities, such as offices, residential housing, and associated recreational and service infrastructure, as well as temporary support facilities during the construction phase, such as storage areas where construction materials can be stored and a marine dock. Permanent accommodation for construction workers will be built southwest of Soyo.
Site Selection
The selection of the site for the project was the most important single decision in influencing the nature of the environmental, socioeconomic and health impacts of the Project.
Extensive studies and consultation with local and national stakeholders in coordination with the Government of Angola supported the selection of Kwanda Island as the site of the Project.
Early site selection work concluded that the Project should be located in Soyo. A key factor in this decision was the vision of the Government of Angola for Soyo to become one of the centers of industrial growth in Angola.
Within the Soyo area, many potential sites were assessed, taking into consideration a number of factors
including environmental, socioeconomic, health and safety, operability, security, cost, schedule, potential to promote economic growth and the views of residents of Soyo.
In April 2004, meetings were held with the communities that use land on or directly adjacent to the short list of three potential sites near Soyo. Meetings were also held with fishermen, the municipal administrator, government representatives, traditional leaders, business organizations and church groups. There was not unanimous agreement on any one site. However, it was clear that stakeholders were in favor of the Angola LNG Project as an opportunity for employment, and they wanted to
promote future industrial development in Soyo and also to minimize environmental impacts.
Kwanda Island was selected for the location of the Angola LNG facility.
The site was selected because it had the lowest potential to impact the natural environment and Soyo
communities. The site selection process considered a range of criteria, including water quality,
habitat and species, fisheries, coastal geomorphology, recreation, community health and safety, the
effect of adjacent secondary industries, settlements and buildings, land use, cultural sites, recreation,
and the effect on communities that would be directly next to the site.
Overview of LNG Plant and Turning Basins.
Model of LNG Plant and Tankers.
