Appraisal ops strengthen Angola’s non-associated gas potential

August 7, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

An appraisal well in the Benguela Basin’s Block 24 has confirmed high-quality reservoirs and delivered Angola’s first full drill stem test (DST) on a non-associated gas reservoir.

Sonangol Exploração & Produção and Angola’s National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG) have drilled and tested the Katambi-2 appraisal well in Block 24 of the Benguela Basin, confirming a high-quality non-associated gas reservoir, as a significant milestone for the country’s upstream gas sector.

The well, which was drilled at a distance of 1.3 kilometers from the Katambi-1 well, traversed two productive intervals, with a total thickness of approximately 331 meters, corroborating the existence of good-quality reservoirs, with an average porosity between 9% and 12% and good permeability.

ANPG claims that this is superior to the findings recorded in the Katambi-1 well, which was drilled in 2014/2015. The initial tests recorded a stabilized production of 41 million standard cubic feet per day (scfd) of gas and 1,160 barrels per day (bbl/d) of condensate, with no presence of water or hydrogen sulfide (H₂S).

As a result, Angola’s National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels emphasizes that the test reinforces the economic viability of developing the discovery and its potential contribution to optimizing national production.

While highlighting that this is the first full flow test conducted on a non-associated gas reservoir in Angola, ANPG discloses that preliminary assessment of the test results indicates the well has the potential to produce more than 100 million scfd.

These appraisal activities come months after Azule Energy started production from a project, described as the first non-associated gas development offshore Angola.

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