Energy major TotalEnergies has extended the production period for Block 32’s Development Areas until 2043 through an agreement signed with Angola’s upstream regulator – the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency (ANPG) – this month. Signed on behalf of the contractor group, the agreement establishes the general terms for the continuous development of the block, representing a major vote of confidence in Angola’s upstream sector at a time when the country is aggressively pursuing production stability, enhanced recovery and renewed foreign direct investment across mature offshore assets.
As the voice of the African energy sector, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) commends the ANPG, TotalEnergies and partners for reaching the agreement, describing it as a significant milestone for Angola’s long-term production strategy. In addition to extending the license, the agreement outlines the possibility of applying the Incremental Production Initiative – launched in 2024 – to bolster output. As such, the deal reinforces the country’s position as a stable and increasingly competitive upstream market while demonstrating the effectiveness of policy reforms designed to encourage reinvestment in mature producing acreage.
As one of Angola’s biggest producing assets, Block 32 covers an area of 5,340 km² and has been in production since 2018. The block is home to the Kaombo ultra-deepwater project, which features a complex production system covering six fields and two FPSOs. Up to 59 wells were drilled at the project, while the partners established Angola’s largest subsea network of over 300 km of subsea pipelines linking the six groups of reservoirs to the FPSOs. The project remains one of the largest deepwater developments in Angola, with production averaging 230,000 bpd, and continues to play an important role in sustaining national output.
The extension to 2043 comes as Angola intensifies efforts to offset natural decline rates at mature fields while creating conditions for additional investment in exploration and incremental production. For TotalEnergies, the agreement further cements its position as one of Angola’s most important long-term upstream investors. The company currently accounts for approximately 28% of Angola’s oil production portfolio and continues to expand across the country through both legacy and new-generation projects.
Beyond Block 32, TotalEnergies is advancing several strategic developments in Angola that reflect its long-term confidence in the market. These include the $6 billion Kaminho deepwater development in the Kwanza Basin – the country’s first major deepwater project in the basin – alongside continued investment in offshore production optimization and lower-emission operations. The company’s sustained commitment sends an important signal to the broader investment community that Angola remains a globally competitive upstream destination with stable contractual frameworks and scalable offshore opportunities.
The agreement also highlights the growing impact of Angola’s Incremental Production Initiative, which has emerged as one of the country’s most effective policy tools for maximizing mature asset recovery. Designed to incentivize additional investment in existing producing blocks, the decree allows operators to develop incremental discoveries under improved fiscal and commercial terms, extending field life while increasing production efficiency.
The success of the policy is already visible. In 2024, ExxonMobil announced a discovery at the Likember-01 well at Block 15 – the first discovery made under Angola’s incremental production framework. The find demonstrated that Angola’s mature offshore assets still contain significant untapped potential and that targeted regulatory reforms can unlock new investment cycles even in long-producing acreage. The same framework is expected to support future optimization at Block 32, strengthening TotalEnergies’ ability to sustain output over the coming decades.
“The agreement on Block 32 shows that Angola’s policy reforms are working,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, AEC. “Major global operators do not commit to multi-decade developments without confidence in the regulatory environment, the resource base and the long-term stability of the market. Angola has created a framework that encourages reinvestment, supports mature asset optimization and gives international investors confidence to continue deploying capital at scale.”
