- Republic of Congo’s Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) to Join African Energy Week (AEW) 2024, Set to Unveil Bold Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Export Plans
- The African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy conference will enable the Republic of Congo’s NOC to forge new partnerships and attract further gas-focused investments
Maixent Raoul Ominga, Managing Director of Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) – the national oil company (NOC) of the Republic of Congo – will participate as a speaker at the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy conference in Cape Town this November.
As the nation seeks to ramp up oil production to 500,000 barrels per day and accelerate gas exploration and production activities, SNPC is seeking strategic partnerships and capital and technology injections to enhance its exploration, production and distribution capabilities. At AEW: Invest in African Energy 2024, the NOC will showcase the country’s major investment opportunities, targeting improved infrastructure, sustainable practices and the development of local talent, with a view to stabilizing and boosting long-term oil and gas production.
Last November, SNPC partnered with independent hydrocarbon producer Perenco to complete an offshore 3D seismic acquisition campaign targeting the Tchibouela II, Tchendo II, Marine XXVIII and Emeraude permits. Data from the campaign is currently undergoing processing and is expected to identify future drilling targets and enhance exploration success.
Advancing the Republic of Congo’s gas export ambitions, Eni shipped first liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from its Tango FLNG facility last month, which is currently headed to the Piombino regasification terminal in Italy and scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks. This achievement follows the signing of a contract last September by SPNC, Eni Congo, Lukoil, and Eni SPA for the purchase and sale of LNG. With a storage capacity exceeding 180,000 m³ of LNG and 45,000 m³ of LPG, Tango FLNG represents a significant asset in the nation’s energy portfolio. The facility is part of Eni’s broader $5-billion Congo LNG development and aims to reach an initial annual capacity of 600,000 tons, scaling up to 2.4 million tons by 2025.
Targeting gas resources within the Marine XII concession, the Congo LNG development aligns with the Republic of Congo’s Gas Master Plan launched in 2021 and reflects the country’s commitment to optimizing its gas reserves for economic growth and energy security. The project is being developed in two phases – with a second FLNG unit in the works – and is slated to achieve a plateau gas liquefaction capacity of 4.5 billion cubic meters per year within two years.
Amid these developments, SNPC has also undertaken initiatives to address sustainability. SNPC launched its Eco Zamba initiative at the Three Basins Summit in Brazzaville last October, aimed at mitigating the environmental impact of oil production. Supported by the government, the initiative focuses on restoring 50,000 hectares of savannah on the Batéké Plateaux, affirming the NOC’s commitment to environmental stewardship and more sustainable practices.
“SNPC is playing a vital role in shaping Congo’s energy landscape, from partnering with IOCs to drive upstream exploration to signing LNG trade deals. New partnerships and investment will be crucial to the Republic of Congo achieving its goal of increased oil output and accelerated gas exploration and production. AEW 2024 serves as the ideal platform for the country’s leadership to forge new partnerships and sign deals to advance the African energy industry,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.
