Sonangol wants to increase its operated production by 10% by 2030. Presented during African Energy Week 2026 as the national company celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, this target rests on three priorities: reviving exploration, accelerating discovery development and deepening partnerships with international oil companies. The group also wants to advance in gas and refining as Angola seeks to maintain national production above one million barrels per day.
A substantial portfolio, but a conversion challenge
Sonangol participates in 48 concessions and operates 11. This portfolio provides a broad activity base, but licence numbers do not automatically translate into additional barrels. Identified resources must become financed projects and then regular production. The interval between field appraisal, an investment decision and start-up can be long, particularly in deep water, where costs and technical requirements are high.
The company has identified the Kwanza Basin as a key area for the next generation of offshore developments. The Kaminho project already illustrates this dynamic, while appraisal activities in Block 24 can inform further investments. Sonangol's challenge is to develop more viable projects while shortening the interval from discovery to production.
Marginal fields and discoveries near existing infrastructure offer a potentially less costly route. A subsea tieback from a new reservoir to an operating facility can avoid building a complete system. This approach requires good knowledge of facilities, rapid appraisal capabilities and partner agreements on costs and revenues. It does not replace exploration in new areas, but can help improve returns on capital committed.
Partnerships at the heart of execution
Sonangol wants to draw on international companies for capital, technology and experience in complex projects. TotalEnergies highlighted discovery appraisal and infrastructure tiebacks as ways to justify investment. ExxonMobil stressed the contribution of seismic imaging and reservoir characterisation to extending asset life. Chevron presented the New Gas Consortium's start-up in 2026 and Angola LNG as examples of cooperation enabling commercialisation of previously underused resources.
Cooperation does not remove the national operator's need to define its own roadmap. For partnerships to strengthen local capabilities, operational responsibilities must be clarified, training for Angolan teams planned and data necessary for long-term asset management shared. Fiscal and regulatory terms must also be stable enough for investors to compare projects and mobilise financing.
Competition for capital is intensifying as international operators weigh different basins. Projects demonstrating sufficient resources, infrastructure access, cost control and realistic schedules will have a better chance of reaching final investment decisions. Partnerships must therefore deliver visible results rather than remain institutional agreements without operational deadlines.
Refining, gas and diversification
Sonangol's strategy extends beyond upstream activities. The company targets refining capacity of 265,000 barrels per day within Angola's ambition to reach 425,000 barrels per day. This responds to the need to process more crude and reduce dependence on refined product imports. Installed capacity is nevertheless only an indicator: unit availability, feedstock quality, operating costs and market access will determine actual production.
Gas development provides another lever. Recent discoveries in Block 24 could supply LNG export, power generation or industrial supply projects. Commercialising the same field can serve several markets, but export contracts must be balanced against domestic needs while necessary infrastructure is built. The company also mentioned selective diversification into critical minerals without challenging upstream activities' central role in its operations.
For Angola, the challenge is to align these segments. Higher production without sufficient processing and logistics capacity can limit economic benefits. Conversely, refining or gas projects without reliable supply risk underperforming. Planning across the entire energy chain is therefore becoming a competitiveness factor.
Measuring progress beyond the target
The 10% growth target provides direction, but credibility will depend on milestones published over coming years: operated volumes, new wells, resources converted into reserves, approved investments and projects brought into production. Unit costs, facility availability and local content contributions will also need monitoring.
Maintaining national production above one million barrels per day is a separate challenge from Sonangol's growth. The country's production depends on several operators and the performance of declining or developing fields. Sonangol will therefore need to coordinate its ambition with other sector participants and the authorities responsible for licensing and regulation.
At 50, the company seeks to combine its role as a national enterprise with that of a commercial player capable of forging international alliances. Its 2030 target will test this ability. Success will be measured less by announcements than by converting concessions into productive assets, execution speed and the share of profits reinvested in Angola's economy.