With a new bid round in preparation, Angola is gearing up to attract investment to its greenfield projects, while simultaneously maximizing production from mature fields. At the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy 2024 conference, the Energy Finance Summit will feature a dedicated session on “Financing Angolan Energies,” exploring how Angola can secure the investment it needs to expand its energy sector and leverage its vast oil and gas resources for local industry and global export.
The Angola-focused session will explore the impact of competitive fiscal terms on unlocking new finance, strategies for attracting upstream investors amid climate change concerns and the role of oil and gas projects in supporting broader investments across the energy value chain. With Justin Cochrane, Africa Technical Research Head of S&P Global Commodity Insights serving as the moderator and speakers from investment firm Gemcorp and Angolan oil company Etu Energias, the session will shed insight into how Angola can secure the necessary financial backing to accelerate energy sector growth and transition.
AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit http://www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.
Angola’s energy sector is characterized by substantial proven reserves – approximately 9 billion barrels of oil and 11 trillion cubic feet of gas. As part of its strategy to boost production, Angola has introduced new incentives for marginal field development and deployed a six-year licensing round strategy through 2025. Currently, there are 29 blocks on offer. These include five marginal fields, including those in Block 4, Block 14, Block 15 and Block 18; four onshore block opportunities (as part of the 2023 round); 11 block opportunities for permanent offer; and nine offshore opportunities (as part of the 2025 round). These efforts align with the country’s goal of maximizing mature field production, while unlocking the potential untapped reserves and positioning itself as a favorable destination for upstream investment.
Securing investment for large-scale projects like TotalEnergies’ $6-billion Cameia and Golfinho field development in Block 20/11 has been pivotal to driving Angola’s offshore expansion. TotalEnergies and its partners, Malaysian multinational Petronas and Angolan national oil company Sonangol, reached FID for the project earlier this year through a combination of equity investments, strategic partnerships and long-term offtake agreements, which helped de-risk the project and ensure its viability. TotalEnergies is also rolling out its Begonia oil field development in Block 17/06, which reached FID in 2022 and is set to produce 30,000 barrels per day (bpd) by late-2024.
Meanwhile, Angola’s downstream sector is advancing rapidly, underpinned by diverse investment strategies that are fueling the development of several refining projects. The construction of the 200,000-bpd Lobito Refinery, 30,000-bpd Cabinda Refinery and 100,000-bpd Soyo Refinery – all scheduled for completion by 2025 – relies on a mix of international capital, public-private partnerships and innovative finance mechanisms. Financing for the Cabinda Refinery has been underpinned by the Fund for Export Development in Africa, an impact investment subsidiary of the African Export-Import Bank, and included a $335-million project facility secured in 2023. The modular refinery will increase Angola’s refining capacity by a total 60,000 bpd and contribute to Angola’s self-sufficiency in petroleum products. Furthermore, Angola’s bio-refinery initiative at the Luanda Refinery Complex reflects growing demand for cleaner petroleum by-products and could stimulate green finance packages from sustainability-focused banks and lending institutions. By utilizing diverse financing tools and integrating sustainable energy practices into traditional refining projects, Angola can accelerate its downstream sector expansion.
AEW: Invest in African Energy 2024 provides a critical platform for industry players, financiers and policymakers to discuss how to further capitalize on Angola’s energy resources and sophisticated production infrastructure. Moreover, the success of Angola in attracting new investment will serve as a model for financing energy projects across the continent.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.