The African Energy Chamber’s (AEC) Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk has arrived in Brazzaville to undertake a working visit to the Republic of Congo, where he will meet with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons to discuss the country’s energy sector and investment priorities. The visit comes as the government pursues a major expansion of its oil and gas industry; lifting crude production, growing LNG exports and giving the state-owned SNPC a larger role in upstream operations.
Congo is targeting oil production of 500,000 barrels per day (bpd), a target that stands well-above the current output of approximately 279,000 bpd. Reaching that level will require new offshore developments, investment in existing fields and additional exploration. The government is also seeking to attract investment and participation from independent and mid-sized operators to develop offshore resources and unlock additional production.
“Congo has an opportunity to build on its existing oil industry while establishing natural gas as a major source of export revenue and domestic economic growth,” says NJ Ayuk. “What matters now is bringing investors, operators and local companies together to move projects forward.”
Recent offshore developments have strengthened the country’s production outlook.
TotalEnergies announced a discovery on the Moho permit in April this year, with estimated recoverable resources of approximately 100 million barrels. Meanwhile, Perenco commissioned its $200 million Kombi 2 platform as part of a six-well drilling campaign targeting an additional 10 million barrels at the Kombi-Likalala-Libondo II field.
In the natural gas space, Eni’s Congo LNG project reached a combined capacity of approximately 3 million tons per annum (mtpa) following the commissioning of the 2.4-mtpa Nguya FLNG facility last December. Together with the 0.6-mtpa Tango unit, the installations process gas from the Nené and Litchendjili fields in the Marine XII block. A potential third FLNG development could expand capacity further.
Ayuk’s visit to Brazzaville builds on earlier engagement with the government and SNPC. In July, Ayuk and representatives from the AEC met with the state-owned company to discuss a roadmap for developing its upstream capabilities and positioning it as a more competitive international operator. The discussions focused on strengthening the SNPC’s technical and operational capacity, expanding its project management capabilities and increasing its participation in exploration and production.
The initiative aligns with the government’s efforts to allocate marginal fields to domestic operators, including the SNPC, and build greater local participation across the petroleum value chain. Moving the company beyond its traditional role in managing state petroleum interests would give Congo greater control over project development while creating opportunities for domestic contractors, service providers and technical companies.
“Engagement between the industry and government is critical to moving Congo’s energy ambitions forward. We want to work with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons to support an investment environment that attracts international capital, encourages new exploration and gives Congolese companies greater opportunities to participate in the sector,” Ayuk says.
