Mapping Angola’s Upstream Concession Landscape
Angola’s offshore and onshore petroleum acreage is divided into numbered blocks administered by the Agencia Nacional de Petroleo, Gas e Biocombustiveis (ANPG). These blocks, spread across the Lower Congo Basin, Kwanza Basin, Namibe Basin, and onshore sedimentary areas, form the foundation of the country’s upstream petroleum industry. Understanding the operator landscape, block status, and basin characteristics is essential for anyone evaluating investment, partnership, or service opportunities in Angolan upstream operations.
This directory provides a comprehensive block-by-block overview of Angola’s concession system, identifying the operators, consortium partners, production status, and strategic significance of each major block grouping. Refer to ANPG’s official concession map for the most current licensing status, as block assignments evolve through new awards, relinquishments, and farm-in/farm-out transactions.
Basin Overview: Angola’s Sedimentary Provinces
Angola’s hydrocarbon potential is distributed across four principal sedimentary basins, each with distinct geological characteristics and development maturity:
Lower Congo Basin
The Lower Congo Basin is Angola’s most prolific and mature petroleum province, extending from the Cabinda enclave in the north through the deepwater offshore area west of Luanda. The basin hosts the majority of Angola’s current production and contains proven play types ranging from Tertiary turbidite sandstones to Cretaceous carbonates.
Water depths across the Lower Congo Basin range from less than 50 metres nearshore to beyond 2,000 metres in the ultra-deepwater frontier. The basin’s prolific turbidite channel and lobe systems have delivered multiple giant oil field discoveries, including Girassol, Dalia, Pazflor, CLOV, and the Kizomba complex.
Kwanza Basin
The Kwanza Basin, located south of the Lower Congo Basin, has emerged as Angola’s most promising frontier exploration province. The basin’s prospectivity is anchored by pre-salt carbonate play types analogous to those that have driven production growth in Brazil’s Santos Basin. TotalEnergies’ Kaminho discovery in Block 20/11 confirmed the presence of a working petroleum system in the Kwanza Basin pre-salt, catalysing a wave of new exploration interest.
Water depths in the Kwanza Basin’s prospective areas range from 1,500 to 2,500 metres, placing development firmly in the ultra-deepwater category. The geological complexity of pre-salt drilling, including thick salt overburden and narrow pore-pressure margins, necessitates high-specification drilling rigs and advanced well construction technologies. For details on the drilling fleet, see our deepwater drilling contractors article.
Namibe Basin
The Namibe Basin occupies Angola’s southernmost offshore area, extending toward the Namibian maritime border. This is the least explored of Angola’s basins, with limited well control and sparse seismic coverage. However, geological analogies with Namibia’s Orange Basin, where TotalEnergies’ Venus discovery in 2022 confirmed significant light oil accumulations, have elevated exploration interest.
ANPG has made several Namibe Basin blocks available through its permanent offer system, with enhanced fiscal terms designed to attract frontier exploration investment. Shell’s 17-block MoU signed in October 2025 is believed to include Namibe Basin acreage.
Onshore Basins
Angola’s onshore petroleum potential is concentrated in the Kwanza Basin’s onshore extension and the Congo Basin onshore area. While historically overshadowed by offshore developments, onshore blocks are receiving renewed attention under favourable fiscal terms. The government views onshore development as a priority for job creation and regional economic development outside Luanda.
Block Directory: Lower Congo Basin
Cabinda Concession Area (Blocks 0, 2, 3)
Operator: Chevron (through Cabinda Gulf Oil Company, CABGOC)
Partners: Sonangol P&P, TotalEnergies, ENI
Status: Producing
Production: Approximately 200,000-220,000 bpd (combined)
The Cabinda concession area represents Angola’s oldest producing region, with continuous production since the 1960s. Chevron operates the area through CABGOC, managing a portfolio of mature fields including Takula, Lomba, Limba, and Nemba. The area’s shallow-water and onshore operations produce predominantly medium-gravity crude.
Chevron has maintained production through aggressive infill drilling, waterflood optimisation, and the landmark Sanha Lean Gas Connection, which commenced operations in December 2024. This project, initially producing 80 mmscf/d and ramping to 300 mmscf/d, captures associated and non-associated gas previously flared or re-injected, routing it to the Angola LNG plant at Soyo. For more on this project, see our article on the Angola LNG terminal at Soyo.
Block 14 and Block 14K
Operator: Chevron (Block 14), TotalEnergies (Block 14K)
Partners: Various including Sonangol, ENI, Galp
Status: Producing (Block 14), Development/Production (Block 14K)
Production: Approximately 80,000-100,000 bpd (Block 14)
Block 14 hosts the Benguela-Belize-Lobito-Tomboco (BBLT) complex, a series of deepwater fields developed through subsea tiebacks to the compliant tower platform Benguela-Belize. Block 14K, an adjacent area, has seen satellite developments tied to existing infrastructure.
Block 15
Operator: ExxonMobil (through Esso Exploration Angola)
Partners: Sonangol P&P, BP, ENI, Equinor, Galp
Status: Producing
Production: Approximately 200,000-230,000 bpd
Block 15 is home to the Kizomba complex, one of the largest deepwater developments in Angola. The block’s principal producing areas include Kizomba A, B, and C, and the Mondo and Saxi-Batuque-Gimboa cluster. Production is supported by three FPSOs: Kizomba A, Kizomba B, and Kizomba C (Mondo).
ExxonMobil’s development strategy in Block 15 has emphasised phased development using large FPSOs with extensive subsea well networks. The block has been a consistent producer since first oil in 2004, though natural decline from mature fields is progressively reducing output. For details on the FPSO fleet, see our FPSO contracts and deployments article.
Block 15/06
Operator: Azule Energy (BP-Eni JV)
Partners: Sonangol P&P, SSI
Status: Producing and development
Production: Approximately 150,000-170,000 bpd
Block 15/06, located adjacent to ExxonMobil’s Block 15, is one of Angola’s most active development areas. Azule Energy operates the block with production from the N’Goma FPSO and the Agogo FPSO. Key producing fields include Sangos, Cinguvu, Mpungi, and the Agogo complex.
The Ndungu infill development is advancing to boost production through additional subsea wells tied to the Agogo FPSO. Additionally, the Quiluma and Maboqueiro non-associated gas fields are being developed to feed into the Sanha Lean Gas Connection pipeline system, supporting Angola’s gas monetisation strategy. For more on gas developments, see our natural gas monetisation strategy overview.
Block 17
Operator: TotalEnergies
Partners: Sonangol P&P, Equinor, ExxonMobil
Status: Producing
Production: Approximately 250,000-300,000 bpd
Block 17 is Angola’s single largest producing block and one of the most prolific deepwater developments globally. The block hosts four major development hubs, each anchored by a dedicated FPSO:
- Girassol FPSO (fields: Girassol, Rosa, Jasmim, Tulipa)
- Dalia FPSO (fields: Dalia, Camelia)
- Pazflor FPSO (fields: Pazflor, Acacia, Hortensia, Begonia)
- CLOV FPSO (fields: Cravo, Lirio, Orquidea, Violeta)
TotalEnergies has maintained Block 17 production through continuous infill drilling, water and gas injection optimisation, and satellite field tiebacks. The Begonia development, a satellite tieback to the Pazflor FPSO, achieved first oil in late 2024, adding approximately 30,000 bpd of new production capacity.
Block 17/06
Operator: Azule Energy
Partners: Sonangol P&P
Status: Exploration and early development
Block 17/06 is an exploration-stage block where Azule Energy is conducting multi-well exploration programmes targeting both oil and gas prospects in the Lower Congo Basin deepwater area.
Block 18
Operator: Azule Energy
Partners: Sonangol P&P
Status: Producing
Production: Approximately 40,000-60,000 bpd
Block 18 is developed through the Greater Plutonio FPSO, producing from the Plutonio, Galio, Cromio, Paladio, Cobalto, and Platina fields. Production has been declining from peak levels as the fields mature, with Azule evaluating EOR and infill opportunities. See our article on enhanced oil recovery in Angola for analysis of EOR potential in mature fields.
Block 31
Operator: Azule Energy
Partners: Sonangol P&P, SSI, Equinor
Status: Producing
Production: Approximately 50,000-70,000 bpd
Block 31, located in the ultra-deepwater Lower Congo Basin, produces from multiple fields developed through subsea tiebacks to the FPSO PSVM. Fields include Plutao, Saturno, Venus, and Marte. Water depths range from 1,700 to 2,300 metres, making this one of Angola’s deepest producing developments.
Block 32
Operator: TotalEnergies
Partners: Sonangol P&P, Equinor, Galp, SSI
Status: Development and production
Block 32 is located in the ultra-deepwater area south of Block 17. The Kaombo development, anchored by two FPSOs (Kaombo Norte and Kaombo Sul), achieved first oil in 2018. Combined production capacity is approximately 230,000 bpd, though actual output is lower as the fields progress beyond plateau.
Block Directory: Kwanza Basin
Block 20/11 (Kaminho)
Operator: TotalEnergies
Partners: Sonangol P&P, Equinor, Azule Energy
Status: Development (FID May 2024)
Block 20/11 is the location of the Kaminho project, Angola’s most significant new upstream development. TotalEnergies took FID in May 2024, committing approximately $6 billion to develop pre-salt carbonate reservoirs at water depths of 2,000 to 2,200 metres. First oil is targeted for approximately 2028, with plateau production of 70,000 bpd.
Kaminho represents the first major pre-salt development in the Kwanza Basin and serves as a proof-of-concept for the broader basin. For detailed analysis, see our deepwater field development pipeline article.
Blocks CON 1 through CON 6
Status: Available under ANPG’s permanent offer system
These ultra-deepwater blocks in the Kwanza Basin are adjacent to Block 20/11 and are considered highly prospective for pre-salt plays. ANPG has made them available through the permanent offer system with enhanced fiscal terms under Decree 8/24. Shell’s 17-block MoU is believed to include several Kwanza Basin blocks.
Block Directory: Namibe Basin
Blocks available under permanent offer
Status: Open for licensing
The Namibe Basin blocks represent Angola’s true exploration frontier. Limited geological data is available, though regional seismic surveys indicate the presence of Cretaceous source rocks and potential reservoir systems analogous to those in Namibia’s Orange Basin. ANPG is offering attractive entry terms to incentivise exploration in this under-explored province.
Onshore Blocks
Block 6(06) and adjacent onshore areas
Operator: Azule Energy (Block 6/06), various other onshore blocks under licensing
Status: Mixed (some producing, others exploration-stage)
Onshore production in Angola is modest compared to offshore volumes but holds strategic importance for local energy supply and economic development. ANPG is actively promoting onshore licensing with simplified procedures and enhanced fiscal terms.
Open Blocks and Current Licensing Opportunities
As of early 2026, ANPG maintains more than 35 blocks available through its permanent offer system across all basins. The table below summarises the categories of available acreage:
| Basin | Block Category | Approx. Blocks Available | Key Attractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Congo | Relinquished deepwater | 5-8 | Existing seismic, proven plays |
| Kwanza | Ultra-deepwater | 6-10 | Pre-salt analogy to Brazil |
| Namibe | Frontier deepwater | 4-6 | Orange Basin analogy |
| Onshore | Various | 10-15 | Low entry cost, enhanced terms |
Interested parties should engage directly with ANPG through the permanent offer system. Our oil block licensing process guide explains the full procedure from application to award. Pre-qualification requirements include demonstrated technical capability, financial capacity (minimum net worth thresholds vary by block risk category), and commitment to local content obligations.
For a comprehensive view of the fiscal terms governing these blocks, see our production sharing agreement guide. For the broader investment context, refer to our upstream investment opportunities analysis.
Major Operator Footprints at a Glance
| Operator | Key Blocks | Approx. Net Production | Strategic Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| TotalEnergies | 17, 32, 14K, 20/11 | 350,000-400,000 bpd | Deepwater dev + Kaminho |
| Azule Energy | 15/06, 17/06, 18, 31 | 250,000-300,000 bpd | Infill + gas monetisation |
| Chevron | 0, 2, 3, 14 | 250,000-300,000 bpd | Mature field + gas |
| ExxonMobil | 15 | 200,000-230,000 bpd | Kizomba optimisation |
| Sonangol | Various | 40,000-60,000 bpd (operated) | Growing operatorship |
| Shell | 17-block MoU | Pre-production | Exploration (2026+) |
The operator landscape reflects a concentration of production among four major players (TotalEnergies, Azule Energy, Chevron, ExxonMobil) that together account for approximately 90 percent of Angola’s output. Shell’s re-entry and ANPG’s efforts to attract mid-cap operators are expected to diversify the operator base over the coming years.
For an exploration activity tracker, see our overview of seismic survey campaigns in Angola. For details on the service companies supporting block operations, consult our guide to subsea engineering contractors.
External resources: ANPG Concession Map | OPEC Angola Profile | TotalEnergies Angola Operations