With an investment pipeline of $60 billion planned for the next five years, Angola is well on track to maintain oil production above one million barrels beyond 2027.
The country has ambitions to leverage both newfound investments in exploration and upcoming infrastructure projects to supply the regional market with petroleum, signaling new opportunities for strengthened trade in Africa.
A ministerial panel discussion during the 2024 Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) conference – taking place October 2-3 in Luanda – will unpack ‘Bridging Borders: Leveraging the Oil & Gas Sector to Advance Regional Trade‘.
Speakers include Diamantino Azevedo, Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum of Angola; Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua, Minister of Hydrocarbons of the Republic of Congo; Tom Alweendo, Minister of Mines and Energy of Namibia and Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO).
As the second largest oil producer in southern Africa, Angola is seeking in-roads to regional markets, leveraging its position as a major supplier to strengthen trade and cross-border projects.
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Notably, Angola is working with Zambia to develop a $5 billion cross-border pipeline project – the Angola-Zambia Oil Pipeline. The proposed 1,400 km pipeline will transport Angolan crude from the Lobito Refinery to Zambia’s capital city Lusaka. Technical work for the pipeline was complete in April 2024.
Additionally, Angola and Namibia are pursuing collaborative opportunities in the oil and gas industry.
In March 2024, Angola’s NOC Sonangol signed an agreement with its Namibian counterpart Namcor and the Namibian Ports Authority to develop an integrated logistics hub in Namibia. The hub will support new concessions and the development of recent offshore finds.
Angola, as a major producer, stands to support Namibia as it accelerates the development of deepwater oil and gas.
Beyond existing collaborations, Angola is well positioned to work with its regional neighbors to advance fuel security across the regional market. Countries such as Angola and the Republic of the Congo – which exported its first cargo from the Congo LNG project this year – stand to play an important part in meeting regional demand.
As the southern African nation strives to enhance regional petroleum exports through increased production, the country appears to be on track to redefine a new era of regional relations.
The AOG 2024 ministerial panel is expected to delve into the impact ongoing projects in Angola will have on regional supply chains, with speakers drawing insight into regional trade and future areas of collaboration.