TotalEnergies’ Mike Sangster Talks Multi-Energy Strategy at Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025

 

Mike Sangster, Senior Vice President for Africa at TotalEnergies, outlined the company’s multi-energy strategy in Africa at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025 Forum in Paris. Speaking during a one-on-one conversation with America Hernandez, Energy Correspondent at Reuters, Sangster said that the company is committed to producing more energy in a sustainable manner.

In the oil sector, TotalEnergies continues to invest in established markets such as the Republic of Congo and Angola as well as in emerging markets such as Namibia, Uganda and South Africa. According to Sangster, TotalEnergies’ African portfolio constitutes half of the company’s operated production globally. “The largest part of our exploration budget is also in Africa,” he said.

In South Africa, the company hopes to start drilling in 2026. The company is currently awaiting the requisite permits. In Namibia, the company is spearheading efforts to produce first oil by 2029 through its Venus project. A field development plan is currently underway, with plans to make a final investment decision by Q4, 2026. Given the complexity of the deepwater project, Venus will target oil production.

“The site is extremely remote, 300 km offshore and at a depth of 1,900 m,” Sangster said, highlighting that much of the associated gas discovered would need to be reinjected.

Monetizing Africa’s natural gas resources through LNG deployment and flare reduction represents a core part of TotalEnergies’ African strategy. “Part of our growth target is focused on LNG,” Sangster stated, adding that “we finished routine flaring in Nigeria, Gabon and Angola. In the Republic of Congo, we will eliminate flaring this year.”

In Nigeria, TotalEnergies is ramping up gas investments to support both local energy needs and exports. “It’s important to monetize gas and its reservoirs,” Sangster noted. “In Nigeria, there are significant reserves and we are actively developing this sector. There are high-quality fields that can also serve export markets.”

Beyond oil and gas investments, TotalEnergies’ broader energy strategy includes the development of renewable energy projects. Sangster reiterated TotalEnergies’ rebranding from an oil major to a multi-energy company, stating that “It makes sense to expand integrated energy activities. We have invested in renewables, green hydrogen and even mining in Africa. The future of our industry is integrated energy combined with new technologies to meet growing demand sustainably.”  

Meanwhile, TotalEnergies is committed to supporting capacity building across the markets in which it operates. Sangster explained that through projects such as Tilenga, TotalEnergies “has generated around 20,000 direct jobs in Uganda and Tanzania. We are also training 200 local people. These are high-paying jobs that will be there for the next 20 years.”

In Nigeria, TotalEnergies works closely with local educational institutions to transfer skills and enhance capacity building. “In Nigeria, we have the Petroleum Institute, and we’re fully committed to developing [capacity] in the country,” Sangster said. These initiatives not only support the development of projects, but create tangible opportunities for local communities. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.