Angola sees high interest in latest oil and gas bid round

Angola has received 53 bids for its latest onshore oil and gas bid round for 12 blocks on the Lower Congo and Kwanza basins, the country’s concessionaire ANPG announced on Thursday.

The Kwanza basin’s four blocks – CON 2, CON 3, CON 7 and CON 8 – received 22 bids.

The 723-square-kilometre CON 8 concession received ten bids, with four of them for operatorship of the block.

Of the Lower Congo basin’s eight blocks on offer, five received bids, including the KON 7, KON 10, KON 13, KON 15, and KON 19 blocks. A total of 22 bids were for the operatorship of these concessions.

Lower Congo’s KON 1, KON 3 and KON 14 blocks were not bid on.

The bidding process is expected to be finalised at the end of December 2023 and negotiations completed by March 2024.

While exact bidders for specific blocks were not announced, ANPG announced the list of involved companies.

These include UK’s Afentra, USA’s Apex Oil Company, pan Angolan-Brazilian Corcel, Angola’s largest private oil company Etu Energias, international E&P player Serinus Energy, local player Grupo Simples, Angola’s NOC Sonangol and local oil and gas company Tusker Energy.

Other interested parties are 5C Oil & Gas, Ace Consults, Acrep, ANM Energy, Quimenergy, Effimax Energy, Enagol, Gesp Energy, Index Petrolube, Intank Group, Kebo Energy, Monka Oil, Soconinfa, Transoceanic Group, Walcot Group and Whazwimi Investment Holding.

“With this tender, we mark another safe step in the process of exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the onshore areas of the Lower Congo basins and Kwanza, attracting companies with proven experience and accumulated knowledge in the exploration of hydrocarbons in basins with recognized geological complexity,” said José Barroso, Angola’s secretary of state for oil and gas.

“This process will also stimulate the emergence of small and medium-sized oil companies, promote the incorporation of qualified Angolan labour, as well as encourage technological innovation and good governance practices.”