Mrs Marisol Ovono Nchama, CEO and President at Elite Construcciones, has shared the company’s history and businesses in Equatorial Guinea, ranging from the construction to the energy landscape
As a proud Equatoguinean engineering firm, founded in Malabo in 2012, Elite Construcciones was initially set up for the oil and gas sector. Then the company undertook large, complex projects, fostering innovation, embracing emerging technologies and making a difference for their clients, employees and community as a whole.
Besides construction, the company currently fully manages turnkey projects, on and offshore labour hire including expatriates, design and build projects, blasting and painting on and offshore, fabrication and welding on and offshore, catering facilities and supplies, material supplies including procurement and importation, landscape services.
Commenting on the year 2019 from the perspective of the energy sphere, Marisol said that the company is geared up and ready for new ventures.
“In my opinion, 2019 will be the lull before the storm. This year, we will see a lot of new ideas, ventures and opportunities coming to EG in 2019, whether with the existing oil and gas companies or new oil and gas companies, these new ventures will not happen overnight,” she added.
“Agreements will be put in place and new players will come to EG. The year 2019 will go down as the year Equatorial Guinea turned a corner and hopefully Elite Construcciones will be round that corner waiting to serve their clients old and new,” she stressed.
Meeting Africa’s rising energy demand
Elite Construcciones is working on the LNG storage and regasification station on the mainland of Equatorial Guinea. In this project, LNG will be delivered from Punta Europa using smaller scale LNG vessels with 7,000 to 10,000 cu/m capacity.
From the new storage and regasification facility in Akonikien, there are six kilometres of pipeline to the power and cement plant. Originally, this was a sixteen-month contract however due to unforeseen ground issues which led to a full redesign a truck loading dock and diesel pipeline being added to the contract period has been extended.
LNG as a clean fuel
Marisol further discussed the potential to expand LNG into other regional projects. She said, “Elite Construcciones has actually been to several West African countries over the last year trying to push LNG as a clean alternative to heavy oils. As a fuel of the future, everybody wants it and they are all very keen.”
In Equatorial Guinea, the decision was made to start using and convert to LNG and hopefully now as an African leader in LNG, Equatorial Guinea will be able to assist and help other countries follow in their footsteps getting over both the hurdles of safety and long term investment and commitment.
According to her, Elite Construcciones, working with the MMH, has a lot of potential for the future in the LNG sphere in Africa. We believe in clean gas. We believe in a lower carbon footprint. We really believe that the vision of the minister of mines and hydrocarbons is a good vision.
Exploring business opportunities
Elite is part of National Alliance Of Hydrocarbons Service Companies of Equatorial Guinea (NAHSCO). With this, the company is set to create new business opportunities in the region.
Marisol said that NAHSCO needs to be strong and ready to prove what they can do when all these new ventures come to Equatorial Guinean, as both Elite and a member of NAHSCO, my door is always open to help the companies.
For more information, please visit www.elite-equatorialguinea.com
