In 2024, Angola plans to drill up to 43 wells across onshore and offshore blocks, targeting accelerated exploration.
Concurrently, the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency (ANPG) will review abandoned wells and installations, representing 45% of the country’s total well count, to assess opportunities for reactivating closed oil wells.
These efforts present new opportunities for technology-driven drilling, with Norwegian firms poised to play a significant role in supporting Angola’s production growth.
Norwegian energy company Equinor, active in Angola since 1991, is expanding its exploration efforts in the country.
In December 2023, Equinor secured stakes in two exploration blocks, 46 and 47, in the Lower Congo Basin.
This follows a production sharing agreement signed in September 2023 with international energy company Azule Energy and the ANPG for Block 31/21, where one well will be drilled during the initial five-year exploration period.
Equinor’s Angolan interests, including Blocks 46, 47, 31/21, 17, 15, 31, 1/14, and 29, make the Angolan continental shelf one of its largest oil production contributors outside Norway.
Recent license extensions for Block 15 (to 2031) and Block 17 (to 2045) highlight Equinor’s commitment to Angola.
The upcoming licensing round offers strategic opportunities for further expansion in Angola’s upstream market.
Norwegian service providers have been instrumental in supporting Angola’s oil and gas projects. Engineering company Aker Solutions, active in Angola since 1998, recently secured a multi-year FPSO contract from Azule Energy for the construction of two FPSO vessels.
The company will provide brownfield maintenance and modification support for the Greater Plutonio and PSVM vessels in Block 18 and Block 31, respectively. Aker Solutions also won a contract to supply subsea umbilicals for the Ndungu project in Block 15/06.
Other Norwegian companies, such as DOF Subsea and Ocean Installer, have provided offshore support services in Angola.
DOF Subsea secured a long-term contract for its Skandi Seven offshore construction support vessel, set to start in Q4 2024, supporting the Greater Plutonio deepwater project in Block 18.
Ocean Installer won a contract for the Girassol Life Extension project in January 2024, handling transportation and installation services.
Norwegian seismic company PGS, working closely with the ANPG, supports exploration in Angola by providing seismic data and geoscience studies.
PGS has been acquiring and processing multiclient 2D and 3D seismic data for over 20 years, offering a comprehensive library covering over 12,500 km² of 2D and 69,200 km² of 3D studies.
In preparation for Angola’s 2025 licensing round, PGS released a new Angola Central Basin Time screening dataset in 2023.
This dataset includes 26,300 km² of full-stack GeoStreamer 3D data in the deepwater Kwanza Basin, covering Blocks 24, 25, 38, 39, and 40, part of the 2025 bid round. The data, available upon request, identifies future drilling targets and supports new investments.
As Angola’s upstream market attracts investment driven by historic drilling success, new seismic data, and future block opportunities, Norwegian companies are expected to remain central to the country’s exploration and production efforts.
Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2024 will feature a panel discussion on “Synergies Through Collaboration: International Ventures in Angola’s Oil Sector,” with speakers from Norway’s Panoro Energy and Norwegian Energy Partners.
