Angola’s national oil company Sonangol is targeting a 10% increase in operated production by 2030, with international oil company (IOC) partnerships, deepwater developments and gas exploration central to its expansion strategy.
The company outlined its priorities during the “Investing in the Future with Sonangol @50” forum at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town on October 15. Executives highlighted plans to accelerate field development, improve output from existing assets and expand downstream capacity as Sonangol marks its 50th anniversary.
Edson Pongolola, Sonangol’s Director of Planning and Management Control, said the company participates in 48 concessions and operates 11. He also outlined plans to increase refining capacity to 265,000 barrels per day (bpd), as Angola pursues a broader national target of 425,000 bpd in refining capacity.
Deepwater Development Drives Expansion Plans
Partnerships with international operators are central to Sonangol’s efforts to advance exploration, develop discoveries and make greater use of existing infrastructure.
Ricardo Van-Deste, CEO of Sonangol E&P, identified the Kwanza Basin as a priority for future deepwater developments, pointing to the Kaminho project and appraisal activity at Block 24. He called for more projects comparable to Kaminho and Katambi, while emphasizing the need to shorten the time between discovery and production.
Van-Deste also highlighted opportunities to develop marginal fields and share infrastructure to reduce costs. These measures could help Angola sustain national oil production above one million bpd over the next decade, an ambition discussed during the forum.
Richard Migeon, Director of Business Strategy at TotalEnergies EP Angola, stressed the role of appraisal drilling and existing infrastructure in making additional discoveries commercially viable. He also highlighted opportunities in Blocks 17 and 32, alongside frontier exploration and improved recovery from mature fields.
Sarah Trend, ExxonMobil’s Head of Exploration for Sub-Saharan Africa, pointed to advanced seismic imaging, reservoir characterization and regulatory reforms as tools for extending the productive life of established assets, including Block 15.
Gas Development Adds to Investment Priorities
Gas development was another focus of the discussions. Kristian Svendsen, Chevron’s Asset Development General Manager, cited the New Gas Consortium and Angola LNG as examples of partnerships supporting the commercialization of the country’s gas resources.
Sonangol executive board member Osvaldo Inácio said upstream operations would remain fundamental to the company’s business. He added that gas exploration results at Block 24 could create opportunities for liquefied natural gas exports, gas-fired power generation and industrial supply.
The strategy reflects Angola’s broader effort to sustain oil production, develop its gas resources and expand domestic processing capacity. Achieving these goals will depend on investment, project execution and continued cooperation between Sonangol and its international partners.
As an Official Media Partner of AEW 2026, Africa Monitoring is following the event’s discussions, with particular attention to energy investment and opportunities shaping Central Africa’s energy sector.
