Angola: gas takes a bigger role in energy plans

Angola is reshaping its energy future by putting natural gas at the centre of its economic plans, after years of treating it as an oil by-product, as reported by APA News in the African Energy Chamber’s State of African Energy 2026 Outlook.

For decades, most of Angola’s gas was produced alongside oil and then reinjected into offshore fields to help maintain pressure and boost crude output. While this helped oil production, it left large volumes of gas unused.

Policymakers are now moving away from that model, seeing gas as a resource that can support exports, power supply and industrial growth.

A major shift began in 2008 with the launch of the Angola LNG plant, which allowed the country to sell gas on global markets and cut emissions by capturing gas that would otherwise have been flared or reinjected. 

“Gas allows Angola to industrialise, stabilise power supply and monetise resources that were previously wasted,” said African Energy Chamber Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk, adding that early investment in infrastructure and clear pricing rules will be critical for success.

Chevron’s Sanha Lean Gas project delivered its first gas in late 2024 and is now feeding additional volumes into the Angola LNG facility. Similarly, the New Gas Consortium, led by Azule Energy along with Sonangol, Equinor and Acrep, is developing non-associated gas resources in the Lower Congo Basin. Two fields, Quiluma and Maboqueiro, are expected to help fill LNG capacity by 2026.

Exploration activity is also increasing. Azule’s gas discovery at the Gajajeira-01 well in 2025, along with planned drilling in the Congo Fan and Namibe Basin, has renewed interest in Angola’s gas potential.

However, the report notes that major obstacles remain. Several gas discoveries in the Kwanza Basin are stranded because of high deepwater costs and a lack of pipelines to bring gas to shore.

Building new pipelines to Caboledo, connecting to Luanda for domestic use, and possibly extending to Soyo for LNG supply would require significant investments. As a result, high costs and pricing issues have slowed progress.

Demand for gas in Angola is also growing; the country’s Gas Master Plan includes expanding the Soyo gas-fired power plant and building a large ammonia facility, which began construction in 2025. These projects, which could use significant amounts of gas, would improve the power supply and support industrial development. 

APA News, Maghrebi.org