A subsidiary of General Electric, Baker Hughes, has launched its multimodal facility (MMF) for oil and gas in Luanda, Angola.
The facility, with its additional capabilities across multiple product lines, will deliver a suite of products and services across the oil and gas value chain. It will serve as a hub to support customers and projects in Angola and Southern Africa region, and will also serve customers on a global scale.
The multimodal facility is located at the Sonils Integrated Logistics Base, Luanda. With the additional investment, the MMF builds on BHGE’s track record and established capabilities in subsea tree assembly and testing. The facility has added additional indoor turbomachinery overhauling services for gas turbines, and an outside storage area that can withstand up to 10T/SQM load capacity.
A statement issued by the firm explained that the strategic location for this multipurpose facility puts BHGE in close proximity to serve important projects in the region, noting that it would enable it provide faster response and mobilization to customer sites, and reduced product and service delivery costs based on economies of scale of a one-stop shop.
It emphasised that for customers, it means access to an expanded product and services portfolio under one roof, cost savings and efficiencies, and overall, shorter project timelines.
The Luanda facility will service BHGE’s product company capabilities in Oilfield Services, Oilfield Equipment, Turbomachinery & Process Solutions, and Digital Services.
In addition to subsea infrastructure manufacturing and installation, the facility now also delivers a broad range of oilfield services, well construction and drilling services, wellbore intervention, wireline services, completion services, aeroderivative turbomachinery, power and compression technology and maintenance services for upstream production facilities (i.e. oil platforms and FPSOs), midstream plants (i.e. LNG) and downstream (i.e. refineries).
This infrastructure investment in Angola is a testament to BHGE’s localization strategy in the country and region. The hub’s operations will be run by a majority of highly skilled Angolan employees, further entrenching people and skills development in the industry and the country.
“BHGE is the only fullstream technology and service company, supporting oil and gas operations in Angola,” said Ado Oseragbaje, president, BHGE Sub-Saharan Africa. “We have operated in Angola since 1958, and this latest investment in the country further cements our unique position in the market and offers our customers access to world-class technologies and services, spanning the entire oil and gas value chain to help their business.” He added, “beyond serving our customers, this facility is another big step in our localization journey and our long-term commitment to the African region.”
In the statement, the firm noted that other capabilities of the facility include subsea tree assembly and testing, sand control, wellbore intervention wireline, surface logging services, drilling services, completion services, wireline services, cementing services, coring services, sand control services, upstream chemicals.
Other services and products available at the facility are reservoir development services, aeroderivative turbomachinery technology supply and services, offshore field installation and onshore support, rental tool maintenance and certification.
In addition, inspection, recertification of H4 connectors and drilling risers, maintenance and storage of customer-owned equipment and tubular fabrication repairs can also be serviced from this facility.
According to the company, the facility’s multifaceted offerings will provide easier access to all as aspects of oil and gas operations and with its location in the Sub-Saharan Africa region and in particular, the fast-developing basins in Southern Africa. This will enable quicker turnaround times for customers on equipment delivery, maintenance and repairs, and overall, shorter project lead-times.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Business Post Contributor