BP, Eni Greenlight Cross-Block Project offshore Angola

Azule Energy, the 50:50 joint venture of BP PLC and Eni SpA focusing on Angola, has decided to proceed with an oil development spanning 5 fields across Blocks 31 and 31/21 in the waters of the Central African country.

The Greater PAJ Project will deploy a new floating production, storage and offloading vessel with a nameplate capacity of 95,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil and a gas export capacity of 70 million cubic feet a day (MMcfd) of gas, Italy’s state-controlled Eni said in a press release.

The gas will be supplied to Angola LNG via a new pipeline connecting to the existing Block 31 gas network.

The partners expect to start production in the first half of 2029. The development plan involves 17 wells across the Palas, Astraea and Juno fields in Block 31 and the Urano and Dione fields in Block 31/21.

Azule operates both blocks with Angola’s Sociedade Nacional de Combustíveis de Angola EP (Sonangol) and Norway’s state-backed Equinor ASA as partners.

“Greater PAJ is Angola’s first integrated cross-block development, representing a coordinated approach to developing hydrocarbon resources across two adjacent concessions”, Eni said. “The project reinforces Angola’s strategy to promote efficient resource management, optimize infrastructure and sustain oil production”.

Eni currently derives about 115,000 bpd of equity oil production in Angola, the company noted.

Earlier this year Azule began production at what it says is Angola’s first non-associated gas project.

The Quiluma shallow-water field started up with an initial rate of 150 MMcfd, expected to ramp up to 330 MMcfd by yearend, BP and Eni announced separately on March 17.

Quiluma’s treatment plant in Soyo had already started operations last year, as announced by Eni November 27, 2025. With a declared capacity of about 400 MMcfd of gas and 20,000 bpd of condensate, the plant is designed to also process gas from the Maboqueiro shallow-water field. Maboqueiro will also supply Angola LNG, Eni said.

The $12-billion Angola LNG has a declared production capacity of 5.2 million metric tons a year.

The Quiluma and Maboqueiro projects are under the New Gas Consortium. The consortium is operated by Azule with a 37.4 percent stake. Chevron Corp’s Cabinda Gulf Oil Co owns 31 percent. Sonangol holds 19.8 percent. TotalEnergies SE has 11.8 percent.

In Angola LNG, Azule owns 27.2 percent, Chevron 36.4 percent, Sonangol 22.8 percent and TotalEnergies 13.6 percent.

Also in 2026 Azule started producing oil in the “Ndungu full-field”, part of the Agogo Integrated West Hub Project. Ndungu is designed to produce up to 60,000 bpd.

“The phased integration of Agogo Integrated West Hub Project, with Ndungu full field producing first via N’goma FPSO and later via Agogo FPSO, will ensure sustained long-term production from Block 15/06 and contribute meaningfully to Angola’s national output, in line with the country’s strategic petroleum objectives”, Eni said in a media release February 20. “Together, Agogo and Ndungu expect to reach a peak output of approximately 175,000 barrels per day across the two fields”.

Azule operates Block 15/06, in the Lower Congo Basin, with a 36.84 percent stake. Sonangol owns 36.84 percent. SSI Fifteen Ltd has 26.32 percent.

Also this year Azule declared a new oil discovery in Block 15/06 wtih an initial estimate of about 500 million barrels.

“The Algaita-01 results build on a long successful track record of 22 discoveries, once again confirming the exceptional effectiveness of the petroleum system in Block 15/06”, Azule chief executive Joe Murphy said in a news release February 14.

“The presence of multiple nearby producing facilities further enhances the value of this new exploratory success”.

The well sits approximately 18 kilometers (11.18 miles) from the Armada Olombendo FPSO in the same block, according to the owners.

To contact the author, email jov.onsat@rigzone.com