The increasingly diverse roles of Angolan service providers

Angola

Jurelmo Lopes, managing director of Mainsol, talks to The Energy Year about the company’s services and areas of focus, its liquid mud plant, the opportunities in Angola’s mature fields and how the shift to onshore drilling is influencing local service providers. Mainsol is an oil and gas service provider.

What are Mainsol’s current service offerings and areas of focus?
When it comes to our services, the list is long because we believe in the need to diversify. That said, we are selective and focus on our most recent and profitable offerings. Our biggest project currently is in drilling and completion fluids.
For the past two years, we’ve been working to build a liquid mud plant in Angola. If we succeed in finishing it first, we will become the first local company to sell mud – drilling and completion fluids – to operators in Angola. We partnered with Baker Hughes for this initiative, and the timing aligns with the anticipated increase in drilling, especially onshore.
Another major focus is well intervention, specifically pressure pumping. We operate in mature fields where continuous pumping is essential for production. This service includes equipment rental, skilled personnel and specialised products. Just today, for example, we loaded nitrogen tanks for clients, renting coiled tubing units. Two years ago, we weren’t even doing this.
We are also investing in maintenance, specifically electrical and instrumentation services. These don’t require heavy equipment, just deep expertise and trained personnel. We’ve attracted experienced professionals from leading companies, and we are actively pursuing significant maintenance contracts in the market.

How has the investment in the liquid mud plant progressed?
We strive to maintain a balanced equation between debt, equity and equipment. Our financing sources are diverse. We work with both local and international banks and are open to investors.
Our partners understand the long-term value and are willing to invest, but delays in infrastructure, such as the revamping of the allocated space in Kwanda, have pushed our timeline. We’re exploring alternative nearby sites, but the facility must remain within proximity to the docks to ensure client access. It’s more technically challenging than we expected.

Do you have a timeline for the plant’s completion?
Realistically, in 2026 we will be producing mud. Our initial plan was for a 25,000-barrel facility. We’re now seeing whether we should wait for Kwanda’s dock revamp or switch to another site we’ve already identified. It’s a tough decision that requires extensive engineering work.
We are, however, making progress on the chemical supply side. Thanks to our strong partnership with Baker Hughes, we can leverage their branded speciality chemicals, while sourcing more basic ones, such as brine, from local providers. The support we receive from our partners ensures profitability on both sides.

What opportunities do you see in Angola, especially around mature fields?
We follow trends, but we also look where others might not. Angola’s decision to leave OPEC was strategic, aiming to stabilise production and drive economic benefit. Alongside that, the government is focusing on mature fields and onshore development. These developments open new opportunities for local service providers such as us.
We’re currently tendering for a block that’s expected to begin drilling this year. They won’t need mud, but they do require chemicals, and we’re bidding to supply those. Providing those is logistically simpler and less costly, though the margins are smaller. However, for a company our size, these are strong, secure steps forward.
Mature fields are particularly beneficial to us. Larger service companies might overlook smaller, lower-margin jobs. For us, they provide an ideal environment to grow capabilities, minimise risk and train local staff. It’s about building confidence through manageable wins and limited liabilities.

How is the shift to onshore drilling influencing local service providers?
This trend is shifting the dynamic. For the first time, meetings with local operators such as Grupo Simples, Acrep and Poliedro are happening mostly in Portuguese. Local service providers, including us, are speaking the same language, literally and operationally. Right now, 40% of the discussions are in Portuguese. Maybe in 15 years, we’ll even be speaking in Kimbundu, Umbundu or Fiôte.
This linguistic and operational alignment is what local content is really about: competence, compliance and community benefit. For us, investing in Angola isn’t an extra effort. It’s our only choice. Most of our revenues stay in-country, supporting local development.

What is your strategy for expanding into Namibia?
We established a fully local entity in Namibia. While some assume Angola will export its expertise, I believe it’s more about mutual learning. English is dominant in oil and gas, so Namibia is already closer to industry norms in that regard. They’re still in the early stages, and their needs are very different from ours.
For instance, mature field services such as production equipment and well intervention aren’t yet relevant to Namibia. However, as they develop, we can offer our experience to help them take firmer, faster steps.
We’re in talks with several companies interested in partnering with us for Namibian operations. No plans exist at the moment, and there are signs that strong multinational service providers are planning to operate independently in Namibia. Still, the door is open with other players. Ultimately, success there will depend on how local-content policies and regulations take shape.

Do you see regulatory frameworks as a deciding factor in Namibia?
Absolutely. The pace and structure of Namibia’s legal framework for oil and gas will determine how much room there is for companies such as ours. Our hope is to be part of that development, sharing lessons we’ve learned in Angola and helping Namibia avoid pitfalls.
Their success is also ours, culturally and economically. We are neighbours, and many Namibians speak Portuguese or Ovambo, just like Angolans. Our ties go beyond business. Their growth strengthens our shared region.

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