KEYFACT Energy
From a selection of 144 Energy Country Profiles, KeyFacts Energy feature Angola in the continuing series of snapshot reviews, with selected information taken from our popular 'Energy Country Review' database.
Oil was first discovered in Angola in 1955 in the onshore Kwanza basin near Luanda. However, the oil did not take off until the 1960s when Cabinda Gulf Oil, now Chevron, discovered the massive reserves off the coast of the northern province of Cabinda. By 1973, oil had overtaken coffee as Angola’s principal export. In the late 1970s, the government initiated a programme to attract foreign investment. The Angolan coast, excluding Cabinda, was divided into several exploration blocks, which were leased to foreign oil companies under production-sharing agreements. Production increased steadily throughout the 1980s. In the early 1990s, international oil companies reported major discoveries in the deeper waters further off the coast. In 2007, Angola officially became the 12th member of OPEC.
Sonangol
Created in 1976, Sonangol - National Fuel Society of Angola - is the exclusive licensee for exploration of oil and gas in the basement and on the continental shelf of Angola. Its activities span exploration, research, development, marketing, production, storage, transport and refining of hydrocarbons and their derivatives, and can be performed independently or in association with foreign companies.
| Official name: | Republic of Angola |
| Capital: | Luanda |
| Population: | 33,944,176 (2021) |
| Government type: | Republic |
| Language: | Portuguese |
| Currency: | Angolan Kwanza |
| Calling code: | +244 |
Commercial reserve discoveries in the deep waters of Block 17 and neighboring Blocks (14, 15 and 16) marked the turning-point in the history of oil production in Angola. In 1996 when the reserves of Girassol were discovered in deep water on Block 17, Angola went from being a solid but average oil producing country to become a hotspot in the global search for major oil reserves.
COMPANIES
Afentra
In April 2022, Sonangol E.P selected Afentra as preferred bidder to purchase interests in Block 3/05 and Block 23. This follows the announcements on 8 October 2021 and 3 February 2022 that the Company had submitted a non-binding expression of interest for the two blocks
Afex Global
AFEX acquired interests in three blocks in the Republic of Angola in 2006. These interests were sold in 2008 for a combination of fixed payments and royalties. The royalties relate to production from block Cabinda North located onshore in the enclave of Cabinda against the border with Congo, and to production from offshore Block 4-05.
Block 4-05 is operated by Sonangol P&P partnered by Equinor and contains the Gimboa oil field which started production in June 2009, triggering payment of royalties to AFEX.
Azule Energy
In March 2022, bp and Eni signed an agreement to form a new 50/50 independent company, Azule Energy through the combination of the two companies’ Angolan businesses.
Azule Energy is an international energy company, independently managed, with more than 200,000 barrels equivalent a day (boe/d) of net oil and gas production and 2 billion barrels equivalent of net resources. It is expected to be Angola’s largest producer, holding stakes in 16 licences, as well as participating in the Angola LNG joint venture. Azule Energy will also take over Eni’s stake in Solenova, a solar company jointly held with Sonangol.
Azule Energy has a strong pipeline of new projects starting up over the next few years, including the new Agogo and PAJ oil projects in Blocks 15/06 and 31 respectively. It will also develop the New Gas Consortium (NGC), the first non-associated gas project in the country, which will support the energy needs of Angola’s growing economy, its decarbonization path and strengthen its role as a global LNG player.
Before the busines combination Eni was operator of Blocks 15/06 Cabinda North, Cabinda Centro, 1/14, 28 and soon NGC. In addition, Eni has a stake in the non-operated blocks 0 (Cabinda), 3/05, 3/05A, 14, 14 K/A-IMI, 15 and in Angola LNG.
bp was operator of Blocks 18 and 31 offshore Angola, and has non-operated stakes in blocks 15, 17, 20 and 29. The Company also had non-operated interests in NGC and Angola LNG.
bp
bp has had a presence in Angola for more than 25 years. In the 1990s BP acquired interests in four deep-water blocks offshore Angola. In 2011 BP acquired interests in five new deep and ultra-deep water blocks in the Kwanza and Benguela basins, making Angola one of the most important assets in the Company’s exploration and production portfolio.
bp is operator of Blocks 18 and 31 offshore Angola, and has non-operated stakes in blocks 15, 17, 20, and soon 29. bp also has non-operated interests in the NGC and Angola LNG.
In March 2022, bp and Eni signed an agreement to form a new 50/50 independent company, Azule Energy through the combination of the two companies’ Angolan businesses.
Chevron
Chevron Corp. ranks among the world's largest and most competitive global energy companies. Headquartered in San Francisco, it is engaged in every aspect of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production; refining, marketing and transportation; chemicals manufacturing and sales; and power generation.
Chevron has been in Angola since the 1930s, when Texaco products were first marketed there.
Today, through their wholly owned subsidiary, Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Limited (CABGOC), the company have an operated interest in two concessions: Block 0, off the coast of Cabinda province, and Block 14, in deep water. Chevron also have a non-operated interest in an onshore joint venture, Angola LNG Limited, a 5.2 million-metric-ton-per-year plant in Soyo.
Eni
Eni has been present in Angola since 1980.
In May 2021, Eni and bp entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to progress detailed discussions on combining their upstream portfolios in Angola, including all their oil, gas and LNG interests in the country.
The companies believe that combining their efforts in a new joint venture company would bring significant opportunities for them to jointly boost future developments and operations in Angola. In particular, it would be expected to generate significant synergies, create more efficient operations and increase investment and growth in the basin. The new venture would reflect both companies’ commitment to continue developing the upstream sector potential of Angola.
Eni is operator of block 15/06, and exploration blocks Cabinda North, Cabinda Centro, 1/14 and soon 28 and is also operator of the New Gas Consortium (NGC). In addition, Eni has a stake in the non-operated blocks 0 (Cabinda), 3/05, 3 / 05A, 14, 14 K / A-IMI, 15 and in Angola LNG.
In March 2022, Eni announced a major upgrade of the resource base in the Ndungu field, in the West Hub of Block 15/06.
The Ndungu 2 appraisal well was drilled 5 km away from Ndungu-1 and stroke 40 m of net oil pay (35°API) in the Lower Oligocene reservoirs with good petrophysical properties confirming the hydraulic communication with the discovery well. An intensive data acquisition was performed to assess the full potential of the discovery.
The preliminary data collected on Ndungu-2 allows to boost to 800 – 1000 million barrels of oil equivalent in place the field resources from the initial estimates of 250-300 (post Ndungu-1), making Ndungu, together with Agogo, the largest accumulation discovered in Block 15/06 since the block award.
Equinor
Equinor is a partner in eight Angolan offshore producing fields in the Congo basin on the Angolan continental shelf totaling an equity production of around 120,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (2020).
Block 17: This was one of the first deep-offshore blocks to be licensed in Angola. The block is located in deep water approximately 135 kilometres from the north-eastern part of Angola. Production from the block accounts for more than half of Equinor’s oil production in Angola. The Company's equity interest in the block is 22.1635%. Average daily equity production is approximately 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (2020). The licence has been extended to 2045.
Block 15: Situated approximately 145 kilometres off the northern coast of Angola. Equinor’s equity interest in the block is 12%. Average daily equity production is 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (2020).
Block 31: PSVM consists of four oil fields - Plutão, Saturno, Vénus and Marte – all discovered between 2002 and 2004 in water depths of up to 2,000 metres, in the North East part of Block 31. Equinor’s equity interest in the block is 13.33%.
Block 1/14: This is a Risk Service Contract. ENI (35%) is the operator with partners Equinor (30%), Sonangol P&P (25%) and local company ACREP (10%). The block is located in the Lower Congo basin – east of the prolific block 15.
Block 29: This is a Production Sharing Contract. Total (42.80%) is the operator with partners Equinor (22.80%), BP (8.80%), Petronas (5.60%) and Sonangol (20%). The block is located in the Namibe basin which is an underexplored area offshore Angola.
ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil has interest in three deepwater blocks covering nearly 2 million gross acres in Angola. These blocks contain world-class development opportunities and have a gross recoverable resource potential of approximately 10 billion oil-equivalent barrels.
Block 15
In April 2015, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited (Esso Angola), started oil production at the Kizomba Satellites Phase 2 project offshore Angola.
The project develops approximately 190 million barrels of oil with peak production currently estimated at 70,000 barrels of oil per day. The project is expected to increase total daily Block 15 production to 350,000 barrels. Esso Angola is operator of the project and Block 15.
Block 32
In April 2019, Total started up production on Kaombo Sul, the second Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit of the Kaombo project, located on Block 32, 260 kilometers off the coast of Luanda, in water depths ranging from 1,400 to 2,000 meters.
Eight months after its sister ship, Kaombo Norte, came on stream, Kaombo Sul will add 115,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) and bring the overall production capacity to 230,000 bopd, equivalent to 15% of the country’s production.
Block 17
Located 150 kilometers off the Angolan coast in water depths ranging from 600 to 1,400 meters, Block 17 has been a true success story, with almost 3 billion barrels of oil produced since 2001 by four floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) units: Girassol (2001), Dalia (2006), Pazflor (2011) and CLOV (2014).
Currently producing around 440,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, the potential of this very prolific block is still high, with more than 1 billion barrels yet to be produced.
CLOV Phase 2 project
In December 2021, TotalEnergies, operator of Block 17 in Angola, together with the Angolan National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) announced the start of production of CLOV Phase 2, a project connected to the existing CLOV FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading unit). This tie-back project will reach a production of 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in mid-2022.
Namibe Basin
In October 2020, the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) signed three Risk Service Agreements with ExxonMobil and Sonangol P&P that make it possible to increase the exploration area in the offshore area Angola, over 17,800 square kilometers. These agreements will make it possible to identify the potential of hydrocarbon resources existing in the Namibe basin.
Galp Energia
Galp currently has five projects sanctioned and six exploration licenses in Angola, where it partners with some of the most prestigious companies in the oil sector worldwide.
The five offshore projects sanctioned are located in block 14 and 14K, with two compliant piled tower platforms (CPT), and block 32, with two Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels FPSOs, all in production phase.
INA
INA have been active in Angola since 1981 and hold a 4% interest two non-operated concessions. Offshore blocks blocks 3/05 and 3/05A comprise 10 fields.
Maurel & Prom
In July 2019, Maurel & Prom (M&P) completed the acquisition of AJOCO’s 20% interest in two producing and development blocks in shallow waters offshore Angola. This marks the beginning of the full involvement of M&P in the activities conducted on these two blocks.
M&P’s working interest production (20%) in Block 3/05 in 2020 was 3,333 bopd (gross production: 16,663 bopd).
PARTEX
In November 2006, Partex acquired a 2.5% participation in Block 17/06, in Angola.
Block 17/06 is located in the deepwater offshore Lower Congo Basin South of the Zaire River, approximately 175 km northwest of Luanda, the capital. It is located in water depths ranging from 600 to 1.900 metres covering an area of approximately 3.100 square kilometres.
In May 2011, TotalEnergies announced that its subsidiary, TEPA (Block 17/06) Limited, and Sociedade Nacional de Combustíveis de Angola (Sonangol E.P.), discovered hydrocarbons in the north-eastern area of the deep offshore block 17/06.
Drilled in a water depth of 445 meters, the Canna-1 well discovered hydrocarbons in reservoir of Miocene age and produced more than 5,000 barrels per day of high quality oil (33° API) during a production test.
Pluspetrol
Founded in 1976, Pluspetrol has evolved from a small privately-held company focused on Argentina into a significant player in South American energy. Today Pluspetrol is the leading producer of both oil and gas in Perú, and it continues to be one of the top producers of both oil and gas in Argentina. The company also has exploration and production activities in Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile and Angola.
In Angola, Pluspetrol operates 55% of the Cabinda Sur Block. The company has obtained a strong knowledge of the region’s reservoirs through the analysis of geological and 3D seismic data from the region.
QatarEnergy
In August 2020, QatarEnergy entered into a farm-in agreement with Sonangol, the national oil company of Angola, and TotalEnergies to acquire a 30% participating interest in Block 48, located in the ultra-deep waters offshore Angola.
The block, with a drill ready opportunity covers an area of approximately 3,600 square kilometers.
The parties respective interests in Block 48 are as follows: Total (40% - Operator), Sonangol (30%), and Qatar Petroleum (30%).
Block 48 is located in the ultra-deep waters offshore Lower Congo Basin, approximately 400 km northwest of Luanda and 200 km West of Soyo onshore facilities. The average water depth in the block is around 2,500 meters.
Sequa Petroleum
In April 2022, Sequa Petroleum announced that Sungara Energies had entered into an agreement with Sonangol to purchase a 10% participating interest in Block 15/06, 40% participating interest in Block 23 (with operatorship), and 35% participating interest in Block 27. Sungara is jointly owned by three partners: the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia's subsidiary NAMCOR Exploration and Production, Petrolog Energies (a company affiliated with African multinational Petrolog Group), and SPNV's subsidiary Sequa Petroleum UK Limited.
Sungara is a new entity with a focus on Sub-Saharan African upstream oil and gas, combining world-class technical expertise with local capability and commitment, able to operate and develop oil and gas assets throughout the region.
Sinopec
In June 2013, Sinopec Group agreed to buy Marathon Oil’s Angolan offshore oil and gas field for $1.52 billion.
Sonangal Sinopec International Ltd, the group’s subsidiary, acquired Marathon’s 10 percent stake in Block 31. The field, operated by BP, has estimated proved and probable reserves of 533 million barrels.
In March 2016, Sinopec received a two-year extension to the exploration period from Angola Oil Ministry for its joint-stock Block 32.
In April 2019, TotalEnergies started up production on Kaombo Sul, the second Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit of the Kaombo project, located on Block 32, 260 kilometers off the coast of Luanda, in water depths ranging from 1,400 to 2,000 meters.
Total operates Block 32 with a 30% participating interest, along with Sonangol P&P (30%), Sonangol Sinopec International 32 Limited (20%), Esso Exploration & Production Angola (Overseas) Limited (15%) and Galp Energia Overseas Block 32 B.V. (5%).
Sirius
In May 2022, Sirius and its local JV partner, Somoil S.A., the largest privately owned Angolan oil company, announced that the joint Sirius-Somoil consortium had signed a legally binding Sale and Purchase Agreement (“SPA”) with Sonangol to acquire participating interests of 8.28% and 10% respectively in the producing Angolan offshore Blocks 18 and 31 and a 25% participating interest in the exploration Block 27, for a total consideration of US$335.5m
Somoil
As the main player in the Upstream sector in Angola, Somoil operates two licenses: the offshore Block 2/05, for which it holds a PSA (Production Sharing Contract) and a 30% stake, and the onshore FS-FST blocks, for which it has a concession contract and a 31% stake. The company also has stakes in blocks 3/05 (10%), 3 / 05A (10%), 4/05 (18.75%) and 17/06 (5%), where its partners include companies such as Sonangol and Total.
In addition to the upstream sector, Somoil has a small presence in the downstream sector, with two service stations in Luanda, as well as activities in renewable energies, participating in a series of small-scale solar installations. The company intends to develop its presence in these areas through partnerships.
In January 2022, TotalEnergies signed an agreement to sell, jointly with Inpex, the company Angola Block 14 B.V. to Somoil.
Angola Block 14 B.V., owned by TotalEnergies Holdings International B.V. (50.01%) and Inpex Angola Block 14 Ltd (49.99%) holds a 20% interest in block 14 in Angola and a 10% interest in block 14K. The offshore blocks have been producing since 1999. Net production from Angola Block 14 B.V. was 9,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2021.
Sonangol
Sonangol - Sociedade Nacional de Combustíveis de Angola, E.P. - is the sole concessionaire for exploration of oil and gas exploration on the subsoil and continental shelf of Angola, and is responsible for the exploration, production, manufacturing, transportation and marketing of hydrocarbons in Angola.
Renewable energy initiatives
In June 2019, Eni and Sonangol signed the Heads of Agreement for the incorporation of Solenova Ltd, a joint controlled company set up to assess and develop renewable energy opportunities in Angola. The creation of this new company is consistent with the country’s energy strategy that establishes a target of 800 MW of installed renewable capacity by 2025, with a specific focus on utility scale solar projects.
Green Hydrogen
Sonangol, through its Research and Development Center, is working on the creation of a strategy to produce green hydrogen, carrying out conceptual and engineering studies, to identify the location to installing a factory for the production of said compound and its derivatives, in Angola, for domestic consumption an export.
The initiative is part of the company’s energy transition strategy, in the search for renewable energy resources, developed in partnership with the German companies Conjuncta GmbH and Gauff GmbH & Co. Engineering Kg who signed, among themselves, an agreement for the implementation of a plant for production of green hydrogen in Angola.
Green hydrogen is one of the cleanest energy sources and its production, through water electrolysis, must be ensured by renewable energy sources. Due to their geographical characteristics, hypsometric and abundance of water resources, Angola stands out as a country with high potential in renewable energy sources.
Sungara
Sungara is a new entity with a focus on Sub-Saharan African upstream oil and gas, combining world-class technical expertise with local capability and commitment, able to operate and develop oil and gas assets throughout the region.
In April 2022, Sungara entered into an agreement with Sonangol to purchase a 10% participating interest in Block 15/06, 40% participating interest in Block 23 (with operatorship), and 35% participating interest in Block 27.
Sungara's 10% participating interest in Block 15/06 provides it with current production of more than 10,000 barrels of oil per day, forecasted to grow beyond 15,000 barrels per day in the medium term, 75 million barrels reserves and resources, and further upside potential. Offshore exploration Blocks 23 and 27 also provide upside value.
TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies, which has produced oil and gas for almost a century, is one of the world’s largest integrated energy companies, with a presence in more than 130 countries on five continents.
TotalEnergies has been present in Angola since 1953, where it counts today around 1,500 employees in the business segments of Exploration & Production, Marketing & Services, and Trading & Shipping.
TotalEnergies’s equity production in Angola averaged 212,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2020 from operated blocks 17 and 32, and from non-operated assets 0, 14, 14K, and Angola LNG. Total is the country's leading oil operator with close to 45% of Angola’s operated oil production.
TotalEnergies also operates several blocks in pre-development phase: Block 17/06 in the Lower Congo Basin, Block 16 where the Chissonga discovery was made and the recently acquired Blocks 20/11 and 21/09 in the Kwanza Basin. It is also operator of Block 48 in the emerging ultra-deep offshore play, where an exploration phase is under way.
In the gas sector, TotalEnergies holds a 13.6% stake in the 5.2-million-ton-per-year Angola LNG liquefaction plant, which is supplied with associated gas from the country’s offshore oil fields. Total is also partner in the New Gas Consortium, a key player in developing Angola’s natural gas resources.
Through Total Eren, TotalEnergies has executed end of 2020 a Memorandum of Understanding with the Angolan Ministry of Energy and Water in order to build and operate a 35 MWp solar project in Angola with its partner Greentech - Angola Environment Technology, Ltd, an experienced energy developer based in Luanda, and the state-owned company Sonangol.
In January 2022, TotalEnergies signed an agreement to sell, jointly with Inpex, the company Angola Block 14 B.V. to the Angolan Company Somoil.
KeyFacts Energy: Angola news
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