Azule Energy announces major offshore Angola gas find, unlocking over 1Tcf gas and 100M barrels condensate, boosting Angola’s energy prospects.
Azule Energy, the joint venture between British oil major BP and Italian energy company Eni, has announced a substantial gas discovery offshore Angola, marking a potentially transformative moment for the country's energy sector. According to the company, the estimated resources from this find could amount to as much as 28.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas and around 100 million barrels of condensate.
The discovery was made through the Gajajeira-01 wildcat well, situated in Block 1/14 in Angola’s Lower Congo Basin. This exploratory well represents a milestone for Angola as it is the first gas-specific exploration well drilled in the country’s offshore waters. The National Agency of Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANGP), Angola’s energy regulator, highlighted the significance of this discovery, noting that it was made in an area with no previous history of hydrocarbon production.
Drilling operations for the Gajajeira-01 well commenced on April 1, 2025, at a shallow water depth of 95 meters, approximately 60 kilometers from the Angolan coastline. The exploration has already uncovered gas- and condensate-bearing sandstones within one of the targeted Lower Oligocene formations. Further drilling is still underway, with the final Lower Oligocene target (LO300) yet to be explored.
Azule Energy noted that preliminary analysis and fluid sampling indicate the presence of multiple gas reservoirs with good flow characteristics. The early estimates suggest in-place volumes exceeding 1 trillion cubic feet of gas and about 100 million barrels of condensate. These findings confirm the existence of a functional hydrocarbon system in the region and open up new exploration prospects in Angola’s offshore domain.
Azule Energy's CEO, Adriano Mongini, emphasized the importance of the discovery, calling it a pivotal achievement for Angola’s gas exploration landscape. He stated, “We are proud to contribute to Angola’s long-term energy development, especially in a manner that emphasizes sustainability and energy security.”
The company intends to carry out a comprehensive assessment to better understand the full scope of the discovery. It will work in close cooperation with its partners in Block 1/14, which include Norway’s Equinor, Angola’s state-owned Sonangol, and Angola-based private firm Acrep SA, to formulate the best development strategy.
Angola, once Africa’s second-largest oil producer, has seen its crude output fall from a peak of 2 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2008 to approximately 1.1 million b/d. This decline is attributed to underinvestment and high development costs in offshore assets. The new discovery comes at a critical time as Angola seeks to reverse this trend and revitalize its energy sector.
Azule Energy itself was formed in August 2022 as a 50:50 joint venture between BP and Eni. At its inception, it held stakes in 16 licences, including six exploration blocks, and a participation in the Angola LNG joint venture. More recently, Azule has secured a production-sharing contract extension for neighboring Block 15 until 2037, alongside Equinor, Sonangol, and ExxonMobil.
With European markets increasingly diversifying their energy imports, West Africa’s gas resources—particularly in Angola and Nigeria—are seen as a strategic alternative to LNG sourced from the U.S. Gulf Coast or the Middle East. West Africa offers a shorter and more secure supply route to Europe, avoiding geopolitical chokepoints such as the Red Sea or the long voyage around Africa.
