• Gabon signed a commerciality declaration with Assala Gabon for the Grand N’Gongui field on February 13, 2026.

• The project targets output of about 10,000 barrels per day once developed.

• Oil exports reached CFA3,992.7 billion ($7.23 billion) in 2023, representing 67% of total exports.

The Gabonese government declared the Grand N’Gongui oil field commercially viable and authorized its transition from exploration to development, marking a new step in efforts to sustain national crude output.

Authorities formalized the decision on February 13, 2026, by signing a commerciality agreement with Assala Gabon, the project operator, during a ceremony chaired by Oil and Gas Minister Clotaire Kondja.

“Through the signing of the declaration of commerciality of the Grand N’Gongui field, the project led by Assala Gabon moves from the exploration phase to the development phase,” the minister said.

The declaration means that authorities and the operator judged the identified reserves economically viable under the existing contractual framework. The agreement allows Assala Gabon to commit the investments required to develop the field.

However, officials did not disclose the amount of capital expenditure required for development. Project stakeholders also did not specify the volume of reserves and hydrocarbon resources identified at the site. Nevertheless, they indicated that they are targeting production of around 10,000 barrels per day once development is complete.

An Onshore Field in a Changing Energy Landscape

The Grand N’Gongui field lies onshore in the Mutamba-Iroru block, south of Gamba in Ogooué-Maritime province. VAALCO Energy discovered the field in 2012. Assala Gabon later acquired the asset and now oversees its development after several years of exploration work.

Assala Gabon currently produces between 55,000 and 67,000 barrels per day, according to its board chairman, Marcellin Simba Ngabi. The company plans to add Grand N’Gongui output to that volume.

Oil exports reached CFA3,992.7 billion ($7.23 billion) in 2023 and accounted for about 67% of Gabon’s total exports, according to data relayed by Agence Ecofin. A Banque de France report published the same year showed that the oil sector represented 38.4% of nominal GDP between 2019 and 2023.

National production reached 84 million barrels in 2024, marking a 3.1% year-on-year increase, according to sector data published in April 2025. That figure corresponds to an annual average of roughly 230,000 barrels per day.

This performance occurs against a backdrop of natural decline at several mature fields. In response, authorities have intensified initiatives to promote deep offshore exploration, which they present as a lever to renew reserves and support national production.

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

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum