Angola has taken another step toward strengthening its upstream oil output and downstream energy security after the N’Dola Sul project officially began production in late December, bringing new barrels and gas into the country’s export and domestic supply chain.
- The N’Dola Sul offshore project in Angola commenced operations in December, aiming to enhance the country’s oil and gas production.
- Led by the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) in partnership with Chevron and other collaborators, the project could yield up to 25,000 barrels of oil daily.
- Efforts include supplying gas to Angola’s LNG plant and crude oil to the Malango Terminal, increasing energy security.
- The initiative supports the government’s goals to improve domestic refining capacity and reduce dependency on imported fuels.
The project, developed by Angola’s National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) alongside Chevron and a group of international and local partners, is expected to produce up to 25,000 barrels of oil per day from 12 wells.
The crude will be sent to the Malango Terminal in Cabinda, while about 50 million cubic feet of gas per day will be supplied to the Angola LNG plant, according to a statement released by the concessionaire.
Production at N’Dola Sul began on December 24, marking what the regulator described as another milestone in efforts to unlock Angola’s offshore resources at a time when the government is pushing to stabilise and grow output after years of decline.
Paulino Jerónimo, chairman of the board of directors of the ANPG, said the start of production at the project represents “a new successful step” within the broader set of investments being made in the sector by Angola’s partners.
Chevron’s Southern Africa managing director, Frank Cassulo, said the project underlines the commitment of Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Limited, the US energy major’s Angolan subsidiary and operator of Block 0, to building local capacity.
He said the development reflects CABGOC’s determination to promote local content in Angola while “developing resources efficiently within the Block 0 concession.”
The ANPG, CABGOC and the project’s contractor group which includes Sonangol, TotalEnergies and Azule Energy, are all partners in the N’Dola Sul development.
A strategic link to Angola’s Cabinda refinery
The start-up of N’Dola Sul is also strategically important because it coincides with Angola’s long-awaited Cabinda oil refinery, the first to be built since the country gained independence nearly five decades ago.
The 30,000-barrel-per-day facility will be Angola’s second refinery and is expected to play a central role in reducing the country’s reliance on expensive fuel imports.
For years, Angola has exported most of its crude only to re-import refined products at high cost, a situation that has strained public finances and forced the government to maintain costly fuel subsidies. Those subsidies have in turn sparked violent protests when reduced.
With fresh production coming from N’Dola Sul and refining capacity rising in Cabinda, the government is betting it can keep more value at home, stabilise domestic fuel supply and gradually unwind subsidies without triggering further social unrest.
