CONSTRUCTION of the Angola-Zambia oil pipeline project is set to commence, according to Zambian Ambassador to Angola, Lawrence Chalungumana, who revealed that $5bn for the project has been made available. He, however, did not disclose the source of the funding.
A memorandum of understanding was last year signed between the two countries for the proposed project. Angola’s Minister for Oil and Mineral Resources, Diamantino Azevedo, signed the document, while the Zambian side was represented by its Energy Minister, Matthew Nkuwa.
Angola-Zambia oil pipeline project
Upon completion, the 1,400‑km pipeline will transport about 100,000 barrels oil equivalent a day of petrol, diesel and gas. According to Chalungumana, the project will take five years to complete and will be handled by the Zambian company Baseli Balisel Resources (BBLR) the Angolan national oil company Sonangol.
The pipeline project establishes the basis for co-operation in the oil and gas sector between the two countries. It will additionally see enhanced trade in oil, development of petroleum refinery infrastructure and capacity building for Zambia. For Angola, it would create a new regional destination for value-added refined oil products, which are, for the most part, currently exported as crude to countries outside Africa, such as China, India and the US.
‘The installation of the new delivery system is vital to meet the current demand in Zambia and the sub-region and also prepare for consumption in the long term. Zambia currently has one pipeline which transports its petroleum products from the port of Dar el salaam in Tanzania to Indeni Refiner in Ndola,’ said Diamantino Azevedo, Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Oil.
‘The conclusion of these works will also facilitate the construction of roads and railways to connect neighbouring countries,’ he added.