Global Oil Majors Sign Deal In Angola’s New Deepwater Exploration

Top oil majors Shell, Chevron, TotalEnergies have signed a series of offshore exploration agreements with Angola’s National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG).

Also, other international operators covering deepwater blocks across the Kwanza and Congo basins were part of the deal.

The ANPG signed risk-service contracts for deepwater Blocks 19, 34 and 35 with Shell, Equinor and Sonangol E&P. 

The agreements establish terms for exploration, appraisal, development and production, with an initial exploration period of up to five years and a 30-year production period for each approved commercial discovery.

Work commitments include seismic data reprocessing and drilling at least one exploration well. The contracts follow a November 2025 agreement covering 17 deepwater and ultra-deepwater blocks in the Kwanza and Congo basins.

The ANPG also signed Heads of Terms with Shell, QatarEnergy and Sonangol covering Blocks 8 and 22 in the Kwanza basin. 

The agreement establishes a framework for exploration, appraisal, development and production, including minimum work commitments and fiscal and contractual terms.

In the Congo basin, ANPG signed a risk-service contract for Block 33/24 with Chevron, Shell and Sonangol. The work program calls for reprocessing an additional 2,000 km² of 3D seismic data, followed by at least one exploration well if the project advances to its next phase.

Separate risk-service agreements covering Blocks 17, 27, 32 and 21 were signed with TotalEnergies as operator alongside ExxonMobil and Sonangol. ANPG and TotalEnergies also agreed on terms supporting an extension of existing operations and further investment in Block 32.

Alongside the upstream agreements, ANPG and TotalEnergies signed a memorandum of understanding focused on reducing emissions from oil and gas production and improving methane measurement. 

The companies will assess technologies including TotalEnergies’ AUSEA drone-based methane detection system and explore potential funding for emissions-reduction projects.

The agreements were formalized during the Angola Oil & Gas 2026 conference in Luanda and represent the latest effort to advance exploration and investment across Angola’s offshore acreage.