Walvis Bay logistics sector is cooking with gas

“Things are heating up in the oil and gas industry. We are very excited about the year ahead,” says Cronjé Grane of Manica’s Oil and Gas division. Such is the demand for services by the oil and gas industry that Manica has established a separate oil and gas division to serve the sector. Grane is stationed in Luderitz Bay to oversee the logistics support to oil company HRT’s drilling campaign. According to Patrick Kohlstaedt, general manager for Manica Logistics and Oil and Gas, the group has diversified its range of services in order to meet the requirements of clients. Apart from the normal logistics services, the company has assisted in acquiring land, importing specialised equipment and drilling material, and providing technical and logistics support to oil companies such as Petrobras and HRT. “Through our ships’ agency division we have provided husbandry and logistics services to rigs of companies like Transocean, Chariot, Statoil and Tullow to name a few,” adds Paul Wolff, another member of the team. “Manica has aligned its services to provide the full spectrum of logistics and shore-based support for exploration and drilling activities. This includes everything from clearing and forwarding, warehousing, project management and travel arrangements to bunkering, even finding suitable personnel for rigs. CAPTION The silhouette of the Transocean Marianas, which was being prepared in port for drilling off the Namibian coast, dominates the Walvis Bay skyline.