KBR opens new operating center in Angola
Engineering and construction major KBR has officially opened a new operating center in Luanda, Angola, the company said on Thursday.
Opening ceremony attendees included KBR executives John Quinn, president of KBR Downstream; Rebel LeBoeuf, senior vice president of project management for KBR Oil & Gas; Chris Sherertz, vice president of business development for KBR Oil & Gas; US and UK embassy representatives, and client executives from Sonangol, Chevron, BP and Total.
KBR has been present on the African continent for nearly 60 years –-specifically in Angola since 1968 - executing a significant number of projects in the region, it said.
While past projects have been focused primarily in the downstream and gas monetization sectors, the office opening is part of KBR’s strategic plan to expand geographically and diversify its in-country offerings with the goal of becoming an EPC company in the oil and gas sector, company officials said.
Operations out of this facility include engineering, project management and construction management services.
“Luanda is one of the four major regions in which KBR has identified growing hydrocarbon markets, specifically in the downstream and offshore oil and gas sectors,” said Roy Oelking, group president of hydrocarbons.
“The opening of the operating center in Luanda derives from a combination of KBR’s plan for strategic geographical expansion and our recognition of the growing requirement and expectation of local content.”
With the company’s history of successful project execution in Angola, this new office will enable KBR the opportunity to combine its global resources with a local operating capability, officials said.
In preparation for the office opening, a group of 12 Angolan engineers have undergone significant training at KBR facilities in the UK and Houston.
With a continual recruitment plan in place, the office expects to grow its local employee base to 75-100 in two to three year, it said.
“This is an important step to meeting Angolan market demands for local employee content, but also KBR’s insistence that it retain the highest quality standards on all projects by using professionals trained to work on projects in the KBR way,” said Antonio Lopes, senior manager of business development.
"Establishing an operating center in Luanda allows KBR to compete for larger projects in Angola and represents our long-term commitment to the African region.”
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