• Angola bets on gas to offset declining oil output, with LNG at Soyo central to its energy strategy.

• New supplies from Sanha Lean Gas and Quiluma & Maboqueiro projects are set to boost gas feedstock.

• Technical issues at the Soyo plant raise doubts over its ability to process and export volumes consistently.

Angola is expanding its focus on natural gas as oil fields mature, relying on its National Gas Master Plan to guide investments. Speaking at the Angola Oil & Gas 2025 conference on September 3–4 in Luanda, oil majors including ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies and Chevron reaffirmed their commitment to Angola and stressed the strategic role of gas alongside oil.

The Angola LNG plant at Soyo is receiving additional feedstock. The Sanha Lean Gas Connection (SLGC) is already injecting about 80 million standard cubic feet per day, with volumes expected to rise to 220 million.

Separately, the Quiluma & Maboqueiro project, Angola’s first non-associated gas development operated by Azule Energy — a joint venture between Eni and BP — aims to supply around 4 billion cubic meters of gas annually. Production is scheduled to start in 2026.

Despite these new supplies, doubts remain over the reliability of the Soyo LNG facility, which has a nameplate capacity of 5.2 million tonnes per year. Angola LNG cancelled several cargoes in 2023 due to technical problems. Actual utilization rates are not disclosed publicly, raising concerns about whether Soyo can consistently convert new gas flows into exports.

Angola’s crude output fell below 1 million barrels per day in July 2025. As oil production wanes, gas is set to play a larger role in sustaining hydrocarbon revenues.

This article was initially published in French by Abdel-Latif Boureima

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum