Petroleum Africa
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Monday, December 2, 2013
Angola enacted new decrees covering a number of topics in the petroleum industry. Presidential Decree No. 132/13 covers new rules on the refining, storage, and transportation of petroleum products. Through Presidential Decree No. 133/13, Angola’s president, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, created the Regulatory Institute for Petroleum Products and approved its by-laws. Subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Petroleum, this institute has a number of powers, including those to promote and foster competition in order to improve the efficiency of the sector’s activities, contribute to the gradual improvement of the petroleum sector’s technical, economic, and environmental conditions, in particular by promoting the adoption of practices for the efficient use of petroleum products, suitable service quality standards, environmental protection, and arbitrate and resolve disputes arising from the petroleum products sector.
New laws were also decreed on the licensing of downstream facilities. Presidential Decree No. 173/13 approved the procedures and defined the powers for the licensing and supervision of petroleum products storage facilities, facilities for the supply of liquid and gaseous fuels (i.e. fuel stations), and distribution networks connected to reservoirs of liquefied petroleum gases. The latter are subject to the regulations in force regarding the design, construction, technical operation, and safety of LPG distribution networks.
On the upstream end, dos Santos issued Presidential Legislative Decree No. 8/13 thereby approving the strategic framework on the licensing of fifteen onshore oil blocks (in the Kwanza and Lower Congo Basins) to take place in 2013/2014. This framework includes the granting of five onshore oil blocks to Sonangol EP to initially assess their potential; if exploration activities are successful, they will be put up for tender at the development phase, with Sonangol EP retaining a participating interest. It also includes the launching of a licensing round for the remaining ten blocks. Presidential Legislative Decree No. 8/13 also clarifies the rules that will be applicable to the bidding procedure and land access for these onshore blocks, and indicates the local content goals to be achieved with the licensing round.
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