Learning to drill

Good afternoon. Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos is moving beyond its traditional role as a statutory shareholder in Mozambique’s gas projects. Through ENH Serviços and its joint venture with Saipem, Mozambican drilling engineers and other specialists will participate in the ten-month campaign to drill and complete six wells for Coral North.

This is a significant step. ENH has spent decades holding state interests in petroleum projects operated by international companies. Those stakes give Mozambique a claim on future profits and a seat in project structures, but they have not necessarily created the technical capacity required to develop the country’s resources.

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ENH has long said it wants to become more than a passive partner. Company representatives have described ambitions to undertake technical work, operate infrastructure and compete for contracts rather than participating only because the law reserves the state a share. Coral North provides an opportunity to begin demonstrating that change.

Mozambican engineers and specialists will be involved in the drilling operation through ENH Serviços, working with Saipem on a technically demanding deep-water campaign. The experience should give ENH personnel knowledge that cannot be acquired from board meetings, reports or classroom training alone.