Gabon has set an ambitious target to increase production to 220,000 barrels per day (bpd). The country is promoting investment in on- and offshore acreage while creating opportunities for marginal field development to achieve this goal. With over two billion barrels of proven oil reserves, the country is committed to monetizing undeveloped hydrocarbons to support long-term and sustainable economic growth.

As the national oil company (NOC), Gabon Oil Company (GOC) strives to spearhead production growth while collaborating with international players to mitigate natural declines and optimize mature fields.

GOC’s General Director Marcellin Ngabi will speak at the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy conference – scheduled for November 4-8 in Cape Town – about strategies for maximizing oilfield development. During the event, Ngabi is also expected to outline attractive investment opportunities in the country’s oil and gas sector while engaging with a suite of regional and global players.

While Gabon is one of Africa’s most historic oil producers, natural declines in mature fields have seen production fall in recent years. As such, the country is revitalizing its hydrocarbon industry by implementing attractive fiscal and contractual policies, incentivizing exploration and deploying innovative technologies to enhance oil recovery. At the helm of this is the GOC, which has been acquiring assets to drive production growth across the country. In February 2023, the NOC acquired the Gabonese assets of private equity firm Carlyle – the owner of oil and gas company Assala Energy. The deal includes seven onshore production licenses, a pipeline network and the Gamba export terminal. Assala Energy represents the second biggest producer in the country and focuses on brownfield assets.

The deal comes amid a string of upstream developments in the country, all of which the GOC has interests in. In November 2023, oil and gas company BW Energy made a commercial discovery at its Hibiscus South satellite prospect offshore Gabon. The discovery was estimated to contain approximately 16 million barrels of oil in place. In March 2024, the company announced that production had officially commenced – averaging between 5,000 and 6,000 bpd -, merely five months since the discovery was made. This fast-tracked approach aligns with national objectives to bring new projects online and fast. Concurrently, the company increased production at the Dussafu Marin Permit after completing four production wells in 2023. Each well produces an average of 6,000 to 6,500 bpd.

Meanwhile, independent oil and gas Perenco began appraisal drilling near its Hylia South West discovery in February 2024. The company targets additional reservoirs and to establish estimated oil volumes in place – estimated between 20 and 100 million barrels. Independent energy company VAALCO Energy is purusing near-field development at the Etame Marin Offshore Fields Development while energy major TotalEnergies is investing in well intervention after signing a 25-year contract for the Baudroie-Mérou Marine G5-143 permit. As such, across the country, focus has shifted towards optimizing mature and marginal assets while leveraging innovative technology to ensure every drop is recovered.

Beyond existing fields, companies are ramping up exploration. Chinese firm CNOOC began wildcat drilling at Blocks BC-9 and BCD-10 in 2023. The company is looking at deploying an FLNG vessel following the discovery of sufficient oil and gas volumes. To support production growth, further exploration is required and the GOC is committed to supporting projects in this area.

In addition to oil developments, the GOC is driving natural gas monetization in the country, leveraging the Gas Master Plan to support project development. Gabon aims to rapidly expand the domestic gas industry by developing the estimated three to five trillion cubic feet of reserves to support economic growth and energy access. Priority areas include LPG, LNG and CNG solutions, gas-to-power and associated downstream industries. The Gas Master Plan aims to reduce flaring, develop domestic industries and support a transition to alternative sources of fuel. Ongoing projects include Perenco’s $1 billion Cap Lopez LNG terminal, set to come online in 2026. The project will produce 70,000 t*ons of LNG per annum and 25,000 tons of LPG. Additionally, the company’s LPG plant in Batanga – which came online in December 2023 – produces 15,000 tons of LPG per annum.

“Gabon is making great strides towards monetizing resources at both mature and emerging assets. The GOC has been at the forefront of this. By prioritizing near-field development and supporting exploration campaigns offshore, the country is well on track to increase production. At the same time, efforts to strengthen the domestic gas economy is already bearing fruit as LNG and LPG projects gain momentum. This fast-tracked, multi-faceted approach to oil and gas development is a model that should be replicated continent-wide,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.