The New Gas Consortium and Angola’s Gas Pivot: A Model for Ending Energy Poverty?

Ending energy poverty in Africa requires scalable, reliable and lower-carbon energy systems – and Angola’s accelerating gas agenda is emerging as one of the continent’s most compelling pathways forward. Through projects such as the New Gas Consortium (NGC), new discoveries and a supportive policy and infrastructure framework, Angola is positioning natural gas as a cornerstone of regional energy security. This shift reflects more than diversification: it offers a replicable model for African producers aiming to expand power generation, industrial output and economic resilience through gas-led development.

A New Era of Non-Associated Gas Development

Angola reached a milestone in November 2025 with first production from the NGC project – the country’s first non-associated gas development. Drawing resources from the offshore Quiluma and Maboqueiro fields for processing at an onshore treatment plant in Soyo, the project has capacity to produce 400 million standard cubic feet of gas per day and 20,000 barrels of condensate. Operated by the NGC – comprising Azule Energy as operator alongside Cabinda Gulf Oil Company, Sonangol E&P and TotalEnergies – the $4 billion project came online six months ahead of schedule, strengthening Angola’s ability to meet growing regional demand while reinforcing its place in global gas supply chains.

Historically, Angola’s gas output has been tied to associated gas from crude oil fields. The NGC breaks that pattern. By generating dedicated gas production independent of oil cycles, it stabilizes supply, supports downstream industrialization and delivers a cleaner, more flexible fuel source for power and industry. Equally significant, the NGC demonstrates how coordinated partnerships and infrastructure-led planning can unlock technically complex resources efficiently. The consortium model spreads risk, pools expertise and mobilizes capital – while integration with the Angola LNG plant ensures immediate export capacity and competitive market access. At the same time, domestic industries gain opportunities in gas-fired power, fertilizer production and gas-based manufacturing. For other African oil producers, Angola’s lesson is clear: align partners early, build enabling infrastructure and use gas as both an economic catalyst and a stabilizing energy resource.

Progress, Policy and International Engagement

Quiluma was discovered in 1970 and Maboqueiro in 1995 – so why development now? The answer lies in policy. Determined to offset production decline and diversify its hydrocarbons sector, Angola enacted a series of legislative reforms to stimulate gas exploration and production. These include Presidential Decree 1/18, establishing a framework for gas development rights, and the Gas Master Plan, which maps a comprehensive strategy for advancing the entire gas value chain. Complementing these reforms, Angola launched a multi-year licensing strategy in 2019, opening strategic acreage to operators and catalyzing new investment. The results are increasingly visible.

Beyond the NGC, Angola announced its first gas discovery in 2025 in Block 1/14 – signaling the start of a more deliberate, gas-focused exploration phase. The National Oil, Gas&Biofuels Agency is reprocessing historic seismic data to de-risk prospects and encourage new drilling campaigns. Together with growing international engagement, these initiatives are expected to accelerate future non-associated gas development.

This is where African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 adds momentum. Returning to Cape Town from October 12–16, AEW connects global operators, investors and policymakers with African projects – facilitating partnerships and channeling capital into strategic gas opportunities across the continent.

“Angola’s gas push is more than an upstream success story – it is a lifeline in the fight against energy poverty. Projects like the NGC show what is possible when policymakers and industry work together to unlock resources, build infrastructure and put African energy to work for African development. This is the model our continent needs to scale,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.