Italian energy contractor Saipem has been awarded a roughly $350 million offshore contract by Azule Energy Angola for subsea works on the West Hub Tails project, a key component of the Agogo Integrated West Hub Development off Angola’s coast.
The contract, announced on September 14, covers engineering, fabrication, transport and installation of subsea infrastructure, including about 62 km of flowlines, risers and umbilicals to be tied into the Agogo floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit. The project lies approximately 180 km offshore Angola in water depths of up to 1,750 metres, with execution expected to last around two and a half years.
Saipem will deploy its FDS and Normand Maximus construction vessels for the offshore installation campaign, leveraging specialized deep-water capabilities to deliver the tie-back system supporting Agogo FPSO operations. The scope aligns with Azule Energy’s broader strategy to integrate new subsea tie-ins with existing and new FPSO assets to sustain production from the Agogo hub.
Fabrication activities will be carried out at Saipem’s Ambriz yard in Angola, with participation from local companies and workforce, in line with Angola’s local content requirements and Saipem’s stated commitment to developing in-country capacity.
The Ambriz facility highlights how major offshore projects in Angola increasingly combine international engineering expertise with local industrial participation to meet regulatory and economic objectives.
For Saipem, the award reinforces its position in deep-water subsea projects in West Africa, a region where it has executed multiple large-scale offshore contracts in recent years. The company has signaled a strategic focus on higher-complexity, higher-value offshore work, including deep-water and harsh-environment drilling and subsea systems.
For Azule Energy, the incorporated joint venture between Eni and bp that operates Block 15/06, the West Hub Tails contract is part of a wider push to maximize recovery from the Agogo Integrated West Hub while transitioning production to newer, lower-emissions FPSO infrastructure. Alongside Saipem’s subsea installation scope, other suppliers including SLB OneSubsea and TechnipFMC have been awarded related umbilical and flexible flowline contracts for the same development, indicating a multi-vendor approach to de-risking and accelerating the project.
The deal underscores continued investment in Angola’s deep-water oil infrastructure and reinforces Saipem’s footprint in West Africa’s offshore sector. By integrating new subsea ties with the Agogo FPSO, Azule aims to sustain output from mature assets while aligning with evolving emissions and operational-efficiency targets.
