• Sonangol orders two LNG carriers worth about $511 million

• New vessels to support exports from Angola LNG project

• Move aligns with broader push to scale up gas production

Angola’s state oil company Sonangol is stepping up its gas strategy with plans to expand its fleet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.

According to reports published April 8, the company has ordered two LNG tankers for a total of 770.2 billion South Korean won, or about $511 million. The order was placed with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, part of the HD Hyundai group, with construction to be handled by its subsidiary HD Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.

Each vessel will have a capacity of 174,000 cubic meters, with delivery expected by September 2029, according to regulatory filings in South Korea’s DART system.

The deal follows an earlier order announced this year for a separate LNG carrier valued at about $251 million, also awarded to the same South Korean group and scheduled for delivery in 2028.

Together, these vessels are intended to transport LNG produced in Angola, supporting the country’s export operations, particularly through the Angola LNG project.

Once delivered, the new tankers will strengthen Sonangol’s existing fleet, which includes 17 oil tankers and five vessels dedicated to transporting liquefied gas, according to Offshore Energy data published in February 2026.

Since 2024, Angola has intensified efforts to monetize its gas resources and boost LNG exports. The country’s sole liquefaction plant, located in Soyo, has a capacity of 5.2 million tons per year but has historically operated below that level due to limited gas supply.

To address this, several upstream projects have been launched. TotalEnergies announced in March 2026 that the New Gas Consortium has begun developing the Quiluma and Maboqueiro fields, expected to produce about 330 million cubic feet of gas per day at peak—equivalent to around 2 million tons of LNG annually.

In parallel, Chevron confirmed in late 2024 that the Sanha Lean Gas project has entered production and is already supplying the Soyo plant.

These developments reflect Angola’s broader strategy to increase gas output and fully utilize its LNG infrastructure as it seeks to expand its role in global energy markets.

Abdel-Latif Boureima