Heavyweight alliance helps navigate unforgiving terrain

Collaboration is key to the future of the oil and gas sector in Mozambique where the discovery of substantial offshore reserves in the Rovuma Basin has raised expectations of a significant economic boom. According to Athol Emerton, managing director of LBH Mozambique, the pooling of comprehensive assets, resources and skills to provide marine services and value-add to customers on a global scale was behind the decision to jointly launch the ALS Alliance in 2017. It’s a local coalition of three major players in the oil and gas and marine services industries in East Africa comprising LBH Mozambique, Alpha Choice Mozambique and Subtech Mozambique, which

Emerton said was formed specifically for the Afungi LNG Projects. “Working in Africa comes with many challenges and the Alliance offers practical solutions for successfully navigating the unforgiving terrain and remote sites of the African continent, and Mozambique in particular,” said Emerton. “By combining our assets with skillsets across the Alliance we are able to offer unique services in East Africa.” He said with all three companies having assets already positioned on the East African coast there was significant benefit in the collaborative approach. One of the key goals of the Alliance was supporting the development of marine facilities in the northern parts of the country in the Cabo Delgado province. Emerton said the Alliance through Alpha Logistics had provided a barge and LCT feeder service operating between Mombasa and Durban and the ports in between since July last year.

“Cargoes are all destined for the early works of the LNG projects in Palma via the port of Mocimboa da Praia and have included cement, cranes, concrete blocks, fuels and 550 FEUs of camp construction materials,” he said. “For cargoes arriving from

outside of Africa, Mombasa proved to be an excellent transhipment port for the project so far. Not only is Alpha Logistics’ fleet of landing craft, tugs and barges based there, but transhipment costs are very competitive, and the port is served by numerous lines.”



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By combining our assets with skillsets across the Alliance we are able to offer unique services in East Africa. – Athol Emerto