Angola Confirms New Offshore Oil and Gas Reserves With Katambi-2 Well

Key facts

• Sonangol and ANPG successfully drilled the Katambi-2 appraisal well in Block 24 offshore Angola.
• The well confirmed good quality reservoirs for oil and gas, exceeding metrics from a previous BP well.
• Initial tests yielded 1,160 barrels per day of condensate and 41 million standard cubic feet of gas.
• The well has the potential to produce over 100 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.
• Angola seeks to boost its oil production and develop its non-associated gas resources.

Angola's state-owned oil company Sonangol, along with its partner ANPG, has announced the successful completion of drilling and testing operations for the Katambi-2 appraisal well in Block 24, located in the Benguela Basin offshore Angola. The well encountered two productive intervals, confirming good quality reservoirs for both oil and gas, with quality metrics reportedly higher than those found in the earlier Katambi-1 well drilled by BP.

The Katambi-2 well was drilled approximately 1.3 kilometers from the original Katambi-1 well. Initial tests demonstrated a stabilized production rate of 1,160 barrels per day of condensate and 41 million standard cubic feet per day of gas. Notably, no water or hydrogen sulfide were detected, which is seen as a positive indicator for the economic viability of development. Furthermore, a preliminary assessment of the full flow test results suggests the well could produce over 100 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

This discovery comes as Angola aims to reverse a trend of declining oil production and to develop its non-associated gas resources. The country is seeking to capitalize on renewed interest in offshore exploration, particularly from nations not reliant on the Strait of Hormuz for energy exports. Angola's crude output had recently dipped below 1 million barrels per day but has since stabilized around 1.1 million bpd. The nation also saw its first non-associated gas development launched earlier this year by the BP-Eni joint venture, Azule Energy.