The Secretary of State for Oil and Gas, Alexandre Barroso, said on Thursday that the main objective of maintaining oil production, above 1.1 million barrels per day, had been achieved over the last few years.
In the framework of the restructuring of the sector, which began in 2017, as an example, he highlighted, in the oil and gas sector, “the struggle” of mitigating the decline in production, which the country had been witnessing, with a programme yet to be completed, carried out according to the limitations imposed by Covid-19.
Speaking to the press, about the VII Consultative Council of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas (Mirempt), to be held from the 1st to the 3rd of June, in Benguela, he said that the main challenge of the sector is to increase oil production.
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This increase can be achieved based on the exploration strategy approved by the National Agency for Oil, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG), which needs to be materialized.
However, he expects that during the meeting, which will balance the activities of the sector, since 2017, the need for the development of this activity will be discussed, with the presentation of the results of the discoveries of new oil and gas fields, which may increase reserves and replace those that are being produced, keeping production above 1.1million barrels per day, until 2027.
In terms of mineral resources, he said that the sub-sector had been marked by new players entering the national market, notably the return of De Beers, which has joined Alrosa, Agloamerican, and other multinationals.
In the mining subsector, he continued, the main objective is to increase production, from 10 million carats per year to 14 to 15 million carats per year in the next few years, so that it has a better participation in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“We have been working on the restructuring of the mineral resources, oil and gas sectors, which have allowed us to establish a system of governance that has enabled some progress,” he stressed.
The Mirempt Council will present the results of the actions carried out from 2017/2022, at a forum that will be held under the slogan ” Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas Sector-2017/2022: Actions and Results”.
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In this meeting, to be guided by the incumbent minister, Diamantino Azevedo, the areas linked to mining resources and oil and gas will present the results obtained, based on the actions that were programmed.
These are the National Oil and Gas Agency (ANPG), Sonangol, Oil Derivatives Regulatory Institute (IRDP), National Oil Institute (INP), Endiama, Sodiam, the National Agency of Mineral Resources (ANRM), The Geological Institute of Angola, among others.
Transfer of competencies
Within the framework of the transfer of competencies from central bodies to local administrations, the Council will analyze, in the case of the oil and gas sub-sector, the transfer of the capacity to license fuel filling stations of up to 200 cubic metres, as well as the sale of derivatives.
For the mining subsector, in the same way, the transfer of licensing powers for exploration of minerals linked to construction will be discussed, according to Alexandre Barroso, the secretary of state for oil and gas.
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The forum also reserves analysis and discussion of the energy transition, focusing on minerals of the future, hydrogen projects and solar energy.
Also on the agenda is the presentation of the process for obtaining licenses for exploration of agri-minerals, such as limestone rocks and their occurrences, which can be used as soil and agricultural field correctives.
