KEY POINTS
- TotalEnergies awarded exploration rights for Congo’s offshore Nzombo block, holding a 50% stake.
- QatarEnergy and Congo’s SNPC take 35% and the remaining share, respectively.
- First exploration well expected before end-2025, near existing Moho deepwater facilities.
TotalEnergies SE has been awarded rights to explore a new offshore block in the Republic of Congo, expanding its footprint in the central African nation where it already runs some of its most productive oil projects.
The French energy group said Monday the permit covers the Nzombo area, a 1,000-square-kilometer block about 100 kilometers off Pointe-Noire, the country’s oil hub. TotalEnergies will operate the block with a 50% interest, alongside QatarEnergy with 35% and state-owned Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC), which will hold the remainder.
Building on Moho Success as Congo Pushes Offshore
The permit sits close to TotalEnergies’ existing Moho facilities, the largest oil project in Congo, where the company and its partners have already invested billions of dollars to tap deepwater reserves. Kevin McLachlan, the group’s senior vice president for exploration, said the new acreage strengthens a portfolio of “high-impact prospects” and highlights the firm’s long-term bet on Congo’s offshore geology.
The first exploration well is scheduled to be drilled before the end of 2025. While just one well is initially planned, analysts said success at Nzombo could open the door to further developments, particularly as international oil companies weigh frontier exploration against stricter capital discipline and pressure to cut emissions.
TotalEnergies is currently Congo’s leading international operator, producing around 65,000 barrels of oil a day, mostly from offshore wells. SNPC already owns 15% of the Moho production facilities, underlining the government’s push for greater participation in the industry.
The award also underscores the growing partnership between TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy, which has been aggressively expanding its global upstream presence from Namibia to Guyana. For Congo, fresh exploration could help offset production declines and secure revenues as the country seeks to stabilize its economy and finance infrastructure projects.
“Congo’s offshore remains underexplored compared with other West African basins,” said a regional energy consultant based in London. “If Nzombo delivers, it could reinforce the country’s role as a reliable supplier, especially to European markets looking for alternatives to Russian crude.”
The Nzombo award comes as major oil companies rebalance portfolios amid the energy transition, with some scaling back frontier exploration while others double down on regions with proven geology. TotalEnergies’ decision signals its commitment to Congo despite global pressure to shift investment toward renewables and gas.
