Crude Oil: Power, Turnaround and Transformation in Angola – the latest bestselling book by African Energy Chamber Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk – will take center stage in Luanda on September 2 with an exclusive launch event at the InterContinental Luanda Miramar. The Luanda launch brings the book directly to the country at the heart of its story, convening Angola’s oil and gas industry around an examination of the policies, leadership and investment decisions that have reshaped one of Africa’s largest oil-producing markets.
Released earlier this year, Crude Oil debuted as a Top Amazon New Release. A Portuguese edition was also released in July, expanding access to readers across Angola and the wider Lusophone market. Blending political history, industry analysis and first-hand perspectives from key decision-makers, Crude Oil traces Angola’s evolution through periods of production decline, economic pressure and structural change to its emergence as one of Africa’s most attractive upstream investment destinations. The book features perspectives from Diamantino Azevedo, Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, alongside Sonangol Chairman of the Board Sebastião Gaspar Martins and National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency (ANPG) Chairman Paulino Jerónimo.
At the center of the book is Angola’s reform agenda and the role it has played in restoring investor confidence and stimulating exploration. Under efforts to curb production decline and attract capital into both mature and frontier basins, the country established a dedicated upstream regulator (ANPG) and downstream regulator (IRDP), while embarked on a multi-year licensing round targeting 50 concessions by 2025. The introduction of a Permanent Offer Regime further opened the market to international capital while policies such as the Incremental Production Decree and Marginal Field program further stimulated investment.
These measures have been accompanied by renewed investment from international and independent operators alike. TotalEnergies, Azule Energy, ExxonMobil and Chevron have since expanded their portfolios through license extensions at legacy assets and forays into Namibe and Benguela, while Shell and Petrobras returned to Angola’s deepwater basins in 2025. Onshore, independents are leading drilling and seismic campaigns, led by Afentra, Corcel, Etu Energias, Oando and more. Following a restructuring, Sonangol strengthened its status as an operator through projects spanning both onshore and offshore margins.
The investment push is translating into new production. Begonia and CLOV Phase 3 came online in 2025, collectively adding 60,000 barrels per day, while the commissioning of the Agogo FPSO supported the next phase of the Agogo Integrated West Hub Development. The Kaminho deepwater development is advancing toward a 2028 start, reinforcing the role of large-scale offshore investment in Angola’s long-term production outlook. With up to $70 billion in upstream investment planned over the next five years, the book argues that Angola’s experience offers lessons beyond its own borders: regulatory predictability, competitive fiscal terms and institutional reform can turn resource potential into sustained capital deployment.
“Angola has demonstrated that reform is most powerful when it is followed by execution. The country made difficult decisions, listened to investors, strengthened its institutions and created mechanisms that allowed capital to return to exploration and production,” states Ayuk.
The September 1 launch in Luanda will provide a platform to reflect on the industry’s transformation while looking ahead to the next phase of Angola’s oil and gas development. As new exploration, major projects and billions of dollars in investment move forward, Crude Oil presents Angola’s turnaround not as a completed chapter, but as a reform playbook whose ultimate success will be measured by sustained investment, production and economic impact.
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