The Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, on Thursday in Luanda, encouraged national and foreign small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to invest in onshore oil exploration in Angola, particularly in the Lower Kwanza and interior basins.
According to the minister, who was speaking at the opening of the 2nd Onshore Exploration Forum/2025, organized by the National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG), Angola will continue to create favorable conditions to facilitate investment in this sector and ensure legal security, as well as promote a stable and mutually beneficial business environment.
“We believe that small and medium-sized enterprises have here an opportunity to create value and position themselves as key players in the growth and innovation of this new exploration cycle in Angola,” he emphasized.
Diamantino Azevedo called on potential investors to bring technology and skilled human capital to ensure solid and sustainable investment.
“Angola is aware that the future of the oil sector depends on collective capacity for attractive investment, which fosters innovation and ensures a stable regulatory framework,” he noted.
He also considered the event an opportunity for the exchange of knowledge and technological information among different sectors and national industry specialists, in light of the challenges facing the industry at local, regional, and global levels.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the ANPG Board of Directors, Paulino Jerónimo, highlighted the economic importance of Angola’s onshore sedimentary basin areas, including those near the coast—specifically the Congo, Kwanza, Benguela, and Namibe basins—as well as inland areas such as Cassange and Etosha-Cavango.
Paulino Jerónimo stressed that the oil industry is going through a challenging and demanding period, which requires innovations and incremental production, as well as further exploration within development areas.
He stated that technical work on these oil projects must be accompanied by the development of innovative contracts that encourage entrepreneurs to invest in the various basins, particularly in the interior basins.
“The ANPG has been working on a new 2026/2030 concession allocation plan to accelerate the next cycle of discoveries, consolidating Angola as a preferred destination for exploratory investments in Africa,” he added.
The forum, which concludes on Friday, aims to identify opportunities, share experiences, and discuss technical, logistical, and environmental challenges. It brings together specialists, representatives of industry companies, and government entities to assess the current state of onshore oil exploration in Angola.
Angop, 06/06/2025
