First S. African Oil and Gas Shipyard Opens

South Africa's first shipyard to construct oil and gas production platforms was recently opened, according to a Reuters report. The shipyard will provide a foothold for the country to take advantage of a booming oil sector in Angola and other West African countries. South Africa is hoping the $30.4m plant, part of a $258.3m investment by Germany-based MAN Ferrostaal AG, will act as a service hub for Africa's burgeoning oil industry. The facility in Saldanha, about 100 km (62 miles) north of Cape Town, will manufacture components, such as bridges, decks and hulls for offshore oil platforms, largely to service fields in Angola and Nigeria to the north. [Source: Reuters]