The Republic of Congo has awarded French energy major Total a new offshore exploration permit as the country seeks to boost crude output.
TotalEnergies’ Congo subsidiary will operate the Nzombo block with a 50% stake, while QatarEnergy holds 35% and state oil company SNPC retains 15%.
The block, covering 1,000 square kilometers, lies about 100 kilometers off Pointe-Noire in the Atlantic Ocean.
The first exploration well is scheduled to be drilled before the end of 2025, the company said.
Total currently produces about 65,000 barrels of oil per day in Congo. From January to July 2025, the country’s crude output reached 56.9 million barrels, averaging 268,000 bpd — a 5.2% increase from the same period in 2024.
Congo aims to lift production to 500,000 bpd by 2027.
