Angolan oil industry benefits from new seafreight service

Angola’s key industry now benefits
from swifter importation of Texasmade
machinery with the introduction
of a new service, Angola Atlantic
Line, which combines the routes of
two seafreight companies. On the
first leg of the journey, Gulf Africa
Line (GAL) sets sail from Houston
and docks at the Port of Walvis Bay
where its shipments are transferred to
Angola South Lines vessels.
“GAL is a US line registered in the
US out of Houston and will offload
in Namibia. We then take shipments
up the coast to Angola,” said Mark
Kilbride of Cape Town-based
Meihuizen International, which acts
as SA agents for Angola South Lines.
ASL is entirely owned by Angolan
investors.
“GAL ships can’t dock in Luanda
or the other (Angolan) ports because
of port depth issues – the vessels are
too big. ASL is a feeder line, serving
four locations in Angola,”
said Kilbride.
ASL ports of call are Sonils
Terminal in Luanda which is
dedicated to oil company shipping,
Kwanda Base (Soyo), and Cabinda/
Malongo. ASL also ships 6m GP
and 12m GP containers and 6m and
12m reefers up from SA, as well as
breakbulk and out of gauge cargo.
Primary SA shipments headed for
Angola are project cargo used by the
oil industry.
Items manufactured in Texas and
shipped to Angolan oil fields will
include wellheads, pipes, casings
and machinery. ASL arranges inland
shipping if needed.
“The new service is of great benefit
to Angola’s oil industry needs. A
GAL ship sails from the US to Walvis
Bay every 20 days,” said Kilbride.