By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com | TotalEnergies, along with its partners QatarEnergy and the national oil company of the Republic of the Congo, Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC), has been awarded the Nzombo offshore exploration permit, the company announced Monday. The consortium plans to drill one exploration well before the end of 2025.
TotalEnergies will operate the permit with a 50% stake, while QatarEnergy holds 35%, and SNPC holds the remaining 15%. The Nzombo permit covers 1,000 square kilometers and is located approximately 100 kilometers off the coast of Pointe-Noire. Its proximity to the existing Moho production facilities, which TotalEnergies EP Congo also operates, is a key strategic advantage.
The award of this permit underscores the continued investment in Congo’s oil and gas sector, which is a major contributor to the country’s economy. The Republic of the Congo is the sixth-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa. The government has expressed an ambition to increase its oil output to 500,000 barrels per day by 2027 and is actively seeking foreign investment to modernize its hydrocarbon sector. The Nzombo permit award aligns with this national strategy and signals a continued partnership between major international energy companies and the Congolese state.
The permit is a “high impact prospect” that can be developed using existing infrastructure, according to Kevin McLachlan, senior vice president of exploration at TotalEnergies. The drilling program aims to assess the potential of the Nzombo prospect, which, if successful, could contribute to TotalEnergies’ global production portfolio and the Republic of the Congo’s goal of increasing its output.
This project is the latest collaboration between TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy, which have a history of partnering on large-scale energy projects globally, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Qatar. Their joint participation in the Nzombo permit highlights a shared strategy of expanding exploration activities and leveraging existing partnerships to develop new resources. For the Republic of the Congo, the project represents a significant step in its efforts to attract new capital and maintain its position as a key regional oil producer.
By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com
