Congolese Blocks Offer Proven Plays, Frontier Licensing Opportunities
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The Republic of Congo – sub-Saharan Africa’s fourth-largest oil producer – will launch its 2025 licensing round at the Congo Energy & Investment Forum – organized by Energy Capital & Power – in March this year. Offering onshore, offshore and marginal acreage, the round aligns with national efforts to boost investment and exploration, as the country strives to increase output to 500,000 barrels per day by the end of 2025. While the country is yet to disclose which blocks will be made available, the licensing round serves as a vital opportunity for companies to not only support Congo’s production goals, but diversify its portfolio of active fields. Preparations are currently underway to finalize the requisite regulatory framework, laying the foundation for heightened investment in the market. Below is an overview of the available licensing opportunities, from technical specifications to potential implications for the sector.
Technical Specifications
The Congo Basin – also referred to as the Cuvette Centrale – is a circular basin extending 1.2 million km² from the Central African Republic to Angola, occupying a large part of the Republic of Congo. Since 1995, several giant oilfields have been discovered and put into operation, primarily situated within the deepwater area of the basin. While production has been gradually declining in recent years due to ageing oilfields, the majority of the country’s on- and offshore acreage remains underexplored, offering a unique opportunity for exploration firms.
In the shallow-waters of the Lower Congo Basin, the Congo Shelf offers commercial advantages given available seismic datasets, proximity to existing infrastructure and reduced technical risk. Blocks within the area are best-suited for companies seeking near-term production. In the onshore portion of the Lower Congo Basin, the sub-basin has already seen significant subsalt exploration success, with a working petroleum system identified.
What to Expect
In 2023, energy and data intelligence company TGS completed the processing of 12,873 km² of seismic data, covering the entire Congo Coastal Basin area. This regional depth-migrated dataset seeks to aid investors seeking opportunities offshore Congo and provides an ideal dataset for screening work and exploration across the shelf and deepwater areas. The data processing falls under Congo Vision, a campaign initiated by the government to reprocess data using modern processing and depth imaging techniques. Going forward, this dataset will support investment decisions by foreign operators as the country strives to boost production offshore. With Congo Vision, the country now offers a comprehensive dataset of 13,100 km² of contiguous, rejuvenated seismic data.
Following its official launch in March, Congo’s licensing round will be showcased during this year’s Invest in African Energy Forum, scheduled for May 13-14 in Paris. In tandem with recent discoveries and project milestones, the bid round promotes greater investment in Congolese acreage by providing direct access to block opportunities.
Implications for the Sector
The Republic of Congo is not only a proven hydrocarbon play, but also a market ripe with significant growth opportunities. More than 30 fields are in development and/or production, with recent milestones further underscoring the commercial potential of the country’s oil and gas assets.
In the oil sector, Trident Energy completed the acquisition of working interests in the Nkossa, Nsoko II and Lianzi fields in January 2025, set to boost the company’s global production by 30,000 bpd. Meanwhile, independent oil and gas firm Perenco is focusing on revitalizing mature assets in Congo, aiming to boost output at the Tchibouela II and Tchendo II fields to 100,000 bpd this year, following a $30 million investment in 2024. Additionally, in 2024, energy major TotalEnergies announced a $600 million investment in the Moho Nord field. The funds aim to increase production at the field by 40,000 bpd. Moho Nord accounts for 50% of the country’s total output, producing 140,000 bpd at present.
As the country attracts new investments and strengthens its production capacity, the 2025 licensing round will play a pivotal role in sustaining long-term output growth and diversifying Congo’s energy portfolio. By opening new acreage to exploration, the round reinforces the country’s position as a competitive and evolving player in the regional oil and gas landscape.
IAE 2025 is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.invest-africa-energy.com. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.