Zenaida Martins, Local Content Manager – Angola, ChampionX Químicos

This year, ChampionX Químicos is marking 20 years of operations in Angola. As a major player in the global energy industry with an important role in the evolving energy mix, Angola has local content laws in place to ensure a growing, sustainable industry, and ChampionX Químicos has made an ongoing commitment to continuing to develop local content in the country.

With the introduction of the recent Angolan Presidential Decree no. 271/20 in 2020, a wider number of companies supplying goods and services to the oil sector were included in local content laws. However, ChampionX Químicos has long championed the upskilling and development of the local workforce and associated local content. Prior to the decree, we held these principles as an integral and valuable element of our Angolan business strategy.

We know that increasing local content ultimately creates a more skilled workforce while also delivering sustainability benefits to businesses. As the industry continues to respond to climate targets, local content will be a focal point in supporting low-carbon goals and must be an important consideration within any sustainability strategy.

As a result of our activities to support this framework, our management team is now 100% Angolanized, and since 2010, our overall workforce increased from 87% Angolan to more than 90% in 2024. We also increased our total annual spend with local suppliers by 140% from 2008 to 2024, with nearly 100% of services provided by local suppliers.

Over the past 20 years, ChampionX Químicos has invested strongly in local infrastructure, resulting in over 40% of our products being blended in-country. We continue to upskill our local workers, delivering ongoing, targeted training programs to support roles across sales, logistics, SHEQ, HR, finance and IT functions.

A smaller carbon footprint through localization

Although the topic of local content often focuses on people, we must also consider a much wider picture around manufacturing and logistics capabilities.

When looking specifically at production chemicals, solvents can account for as much as 80% of formulations. The typical industry approach to chemical supply has often been to manufacture and import solvents from other countries. However, a key element of ChampionX Químicos’ localization strategy includes the development of chemical formulations that include solvents available in Angola. This approach not only improves assurance of supply but is also likely to reduce the number of shipments needed from overseas, lowering the carbon footprint of the final product.

Across the country, we have invested in further infrastructure to support these operations, including three plants, located in Soyo, Cabinda, and Luanda, as well as a main office in Luanda. These local facilities include storage, filtration, decanting, and (uniquely to ChampionX Químicos) blending.

The next 20 years

There is a demand in Angola for real initiatives that can significantly improve sustainability. For us, that means developing and deploying technologies that are effective in helping customers reduce their carbon footprint, water use, and power consumption by improving oil recovery and resulting in more efficient operations. We are also focused on identifying ways to improve our sustainable practices in the future through projects such as recycling single-use chemical tanks and sourcing alternative energy for our blending plants.

To make local content successful, it’s essential that a clear, long-term strategy is put in place which encompasses more than just businesses. Governments, local authorities, educational institutions, and industry groups all need to be on board. When everyone collaborates, it’s possible to not only establish a strong local presence, but to keep it thriving. This opens the door to big environmental benefits while building a more skilled workforce and boosting manufacturing capabilities—key steps toward a net-zero future.

At ChampionX, we work closely with our local customers to understand their challenges so we can support them effectively, efficiently, and safely. Along with our local expertise, we’re part of a global network with access to some of the top technical experts in the industry.

Looking ahead to the next 20 years of our operations across the country, we are working toward deepening our local footprint. By continuing to grow the skills of our national workforce and ramping up local production, we aim to help build a sustainable, valuable, and long-lasting local content economy.