Verner Ayukegba Steers Angola–Indonesia Dialogue Toward Deeper Energy Investment

Angola and Indonesia are positioning energy at the centre of a deeper economic partnership, with Indonesian state-owned energy giant Pertamina signalling ambitions to expand beyond crude purchases into direct upstream investment, joint ventures and potentially an operating role in Angola’s oil and gas industry.

The emerging partnership was spotlighted during a high-level fireside discussion at the Angola Oil & Gas Conference, moderated by Verner Ayukegba, Senior Vice President of the African Energy Chamber (AEC). The conversation brought together Dicky Sudan Pramudianta, Pertamina’s Vice President for Feedstock and Product Sourcing, and Arif Havas Oegroseno, Indonesia’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, for discussions on investment, energy security and opportunities for stronger cooperation between the two countries.

According to the African Energy Chamber, Pertamina plans to leverage its relationship with Maurel & Prom to pursue additional upstream opportunities in cooperation with Sonangol and Angolan authorities. The approach could give the Indonesian company a stronger foothold in one of sub-Saharan Africa’s most established hydrocarbon markets while supporting Jakarta’s broader objective of diversifying energy supplies.

“We are looking to become upstream operators in Angola,” Pramudianta said during the discussion, according to the Angola Oil & Gas Conference. He added that Pertamina intends to leverage both the Maurel & Prom and Pertamina brands in engagements with Sonangol and Angolan officials.

Maurel & Prom already has significant interests in Angola’s upstream sector, including Blocks 3/05 and 3/05A, mature producing assets offshore Angola operated by Sonangol. The company has also expanded into Block 3/24, where a risk service contract was formally approved in October 2025. Under the arrangement, Maurel & Prom holds a 40% interest alongside operator Afentra with 40% and Sonangol P&P with 20%.

Block 3/24 is particularly significant because of its proximity to existing infrastructure and discoveries. Maurel & Prom says the 545-square-kilometre shallow-water block contains five discoveries and offers opportunities for shorter-cycle developments that can potentially be connected to infrastructure associated with Blocks 3/05 and 3/05A.

The Indonesian interest comes as Angola continues efforts to attract fresh capital, technology and international partnerships into its hydrocarbons industry. For Pertamina, gaining greater exposure to Angolan production could represent a strategic shift from being primarily a purchaser of African crude toward becoming a longer-term investor participating directly in resource development.

Indonesia’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Arif Havas Oegroseno, reinforced that broader ambition during the discussion, outlining Jakarta’s interest in moving toward long-term investment and joint partnerships with Angola rather than limiting the relationship to conventional buyer-seller arrangements.

Such a shift would give the Angola–Indonesia relationship a more strategic character. Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, continues to balance growing domestic energy demand with the need for reliable and diversified supplies, while Angola is seeking investors capable of bringing capital, technical expertise and long-term commitments to its petroleum industry.

For Ayukegba, who moderated the discussion, the conversation also reflected wider changes taking place across global energy markets. The AEC Senior Vice President highlighted the evolving dynamics of energy security and sourcing, stressing the growing importance of partnerships, investment and collaboration as both African producers and international consumers reassess their energy strategies.

The African Energy Chamber has consistently advocated partnerships that allow African producers to monetise their resources while attracting investment and strengthening domestic economic benefits. The Angola–Indonesia dialogue fits increasingly into that framework, combining Indonesia’s search for secure energy supplies with Angola’s drive to sustain production and attract new international investors.

Rather than remaining centred on crude exports alone, the relationship being discussed could eventually encompass upstream investment, joint ventures, technical cooperation and potentially broader value-chain opportunities. Pertamina’s interest in becoming an operator would represent an especially important development, placing an Asian national energy company more directly within Angola’s upstream landscape.

For Angola, attracting new players also supports efforts to diversify its investor base at a time when competition for global exploration and production capital remains intense. Existing infrastructure, producing assets and opportunities around proven discoveries provide a foundation upon which new investors can pursue redevelopment as well as exploration projects.

The discussions moderated by Ayukegba ultimately underscored a larger trend shaping Africa’s energy future: traditional relationships between African producers and international markets are gradually evolving from straightforward commodity transactions toward investment partnerships in which companies seek equity, operating roles, technology partnerships and longer-term exposure.

As the African Energy Chamber noted in a LinkedIn post highlighting the discussion, lasting progress will depend on partnerships capable of moving beyond dialogue and translating diplomatic and commercial interest into investment and development opportunities.

For Angola and Indonesia, Pertamina’s expanding ambitions may now provide an important test of how far that transition can go. If current discussions develop into concrete upstream participation, they could open a new chapter in South–South energy cooperation while further strengthening Angola’s position as a strategic petroleum investment destination.