Continuous improvement to meet Mozambique’s logistics demands

September 2, 2024

Benoît Buron, area manager for AMT in Mozambique, talks to The Energy Year about the company’s involvement in Mozambique’s first offshore gas project and building capabilities to meet the demands of Mozambique’s growing energy sector. AMT is a Swiss integrated transport and logistics provider specialising in the oil and gas upstream sector in Africa.

What are AMT’s most important operations in Mozambique?
In 2021, we celebrated more than 10 years of operations in the country. We have been able to manoeuvre through the challenges and constraints of Covid-19 and project suspensions to keep on growing our business.
Our biggest operation is in Pemba, where we acted as agents for drilling contractor Saipem and many subcontractors on the Coral Sul FLNG Project. We also set up a branch in Nampula to support the Angoche exploration drilling campaign to support Eni and Vantage Drilling in 2023.
For almost 10 years, we have been the main agent for offshore drilling contractors in Mozambique. It is quite an important position in the market, and we have continued to develop our services around Coral Sul after installation, supporting all the vessels operating around the project. Under the production framework, we oversee gas exports for Eni as a customs broker. It is the first gas ever exported from an offshore operation in Mozambique.

What are some key strategies that AMT has employed to grow its business?
We have maintained a focus on consolidating our position. The market has been tough and we have been able to remain competitive, which is quite important, keeping the best standards at the same time by constantly training and growing our local workforce to maintain a high quality of service. AMT is certified under ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 standards.
Eni’s Angoche exploration campaign is a good example of us remaining strong and flexible to address customers’ needs, as we were required to open a branch quickly in Nampula to manage crew changes. Similarly, we opened a branch in Ressano Garcia, on the border with South Africa, to improve the flow of shipments coming from South Africa.
Having knowledgeable staff allows us to take on new projects and address new needs from our customers with confidence.

 

How is AMT positioning itself to capture opportunities in Mozambique’s growth sectors?
The best way to secure growth is to build capacity and be in a position to make the most of favourable circumstances. We are investing in our sales and operations teams to create new opportunities.
Specifically in Cabo Delgado, we are maintaining communication with our customers and other stakeholders to monitor the level of security on the ground and to adapt our operations accordingly. Everyone in the industry is aware that we all share the same situation, and we are co-operating intelligently to ensure that no one is at risk.

Are you currently looking for new business partnerships?
Always. It is important to mention that Mozambique as a whole is different from Cabo Delgado. In Cabo Delgado, especially after the force majeure, there were limited business options. Elsewhere in Mozambique, we are developing new procurement methods, auditing existing partners and identifying new ones to improve our efficiency, quality and competitiveness.
Road and maritime transportation and cargo lifting services will be especially important for our operations going forward.
We must diversify our portfolio of services to remain robust. The energy industry has highly demanding logistics requirements, especially its offshore operations. If we can meet its demands, we have the capabilities to serve almost any other sector.

What are some of AMT’s social responsibility initiatives?
AMT has been part of the UN Global Compact since 2018. It is important for us to share our success and give back to the communities that support our growth. It is not only a matter of ethics; it benefits everyone.
We have participated in a project to support orphans in Maputo with A Casa Amarela and, in partnership with the French-Mozambican Chamber of Commerce and Reunion Island Port, we are developing a training programme for Mozambican workers to further promote local content. We are proud to have been able to participate in such initiatives, which are just some examples of our continuous CSR actions across Mozambique.

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