QatarEnergy expands Africa footprint with Congo oil permit

QatarEnergy has further enhanced its African presence after being granted the Nzombo offshore exploration permit in the Republic of the Congo, together with its partners TotalEnergies and the Societe Nationale des Petroles du Congo (SNPC).

The block is 1,000 sq km in area, 100 km offshore from Pointe-Noire, near TotalEnergies' Moho production assets. The first work program will involve the consortium drilling one exploration well within 2025.

In the partnership deal, TotalEnergies has a 50percent stake as operator, QatarEnergy a 35 percent interest and SNPC the other 15 percent.

Key highlights:

• QatarEnergy secures 35 percent stake in the Nzombo offshore block in Congo, alongside TotalEnergies (50 percent) and SNPC (15 percent)
• Exploration drilling to begin in 2025, leveraging proximity to TotalEnergies’ Moho production facilities for efficient development
• The award comes as QatarEnergy accelerates African expansion, adding to recent oil concessions in Algeria and projects in Egypt

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, QatarEnergy President and CEO, stated, "The Nzombo permit is another milestone in our efforts to increase our exploration presence in Africa. Working with top partners like TotalEnergies and SNPC, we are acquiring new resources to become part of global energy supplies in the future.”

Patrick Pouyanné, TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO, commented, "The Nzombo permit complements our long-term dedication to Congo and supplements our robust upstream portfolio in West Africa. With proximal Moho facilities, we can exploit existing infrastructure for cost-effective development.”

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The prize is delivered while QatarEnergy ramps up regional expansion. In June, it won significant oil concessions in Algeria spanning 152,000 sq km, and in Egypt it is also collaborating with Eni and BP on the USD 100 million East Port Said offshore project.

Qatar, one of the world's top LNG exporters, is also advancing its North Field East expansion, which is scheduled to start production by mid-2026.