Construction & Fabrication Progress

Angolan Fabrication — Ambriz Yard

The first steel cutting ceremony at the Petromar/Saipem shipyard in Ambriz, Bengo Province, officially launched the in-country construction phase of the Kaminho project. MIREMPET Minister Diamantino Azevedo presided, calling it "a turning point for the Angolan oil industry." The ceremony marked the beginning of fabrication of over 5,500 tonnes of metal structures for the FPSO and SURF packages.

The Ambriz fabrication scope includes: 12 vertical suction anchors (each weighing 170 tonnes and standing 24 meters tall) for FPSO mooring, an 80-meter-long flowline protector for the FPSO, and various subsea structures for the SURF package. The work represents more than 1.2 million man-hours at the Ambriz facility alone. Critically, 94% of the workforce consists of qualified Angolan professionals — demonstrating exceptional local content performance.

FPSO Conversion — CMHI Nantong

The FPSO conversion is being executed at China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) in Nantong, China. CMHI commenced engineering work in mid-2024 and began the physical conversion in early 2025. The conversion transforms the VLCC Alsace (299,999 DWT) into a fully equipped FPSO with 70,000 bpd production capacity, 80 MW power generation (Siemens Energy), and all-electric, zero-flaring design. As of late 2025, the overall project was approximately 30% complete.

Saipem manages the FPSO EPC (engineering, procurement, construction, transportation, and commissioning) under a contract with TotalEnergies. The FPSO is expected to be completed and sail-away from CMHI in 2027 for transit to the Block 20/11 location in the Kwanza Basin.

Offshore Installation Campaign

Offshore activities are scheduled for 2026-2027. Saipem will deploy its FDS (Field Development Ship) for J-lay installation of the SURF package (approximately 30 km of flowlines, risers, and umbilicals). Suction anchor installation and seafloor preparation will precede the FPSO arrival. The SLB OneSubsea subsea production system (13-well scope) will be installed in coordination with the SURF campaign.

The total project involves over 10 million man-hours in Angola, primarily in offshore operations and construction at local yards. For the complete project timeline, contract structure, and workforce data, see our dedicated pages.