Sonangol and ANPG said the appraisal well crossed two productive intervals and confirmed good-quality reservoirs offshore the country.

Reservoir quality improves the case

Initial tests at Katambi-2 recorded a stabilised output of 41 million standard cubic feet per day of gas and 1,160 barrels per day of condensate. The appraisal well is in Block 24 of the Benguela Basin offshore Angola. Officials said the absence of water and hydrogen sulphide improved the project’s economic case.

The result matters because it supports further appraisal of a pre-salt discovery that could add to Angola’s upstream base.

Katambi-2 showed preliminary test potential of more than 100 MMscfd, according to the joint statement. Preliminary tests indicated the well could produce more than 100 million standard cubic feet per day. That suggests the reservoir may support a larger development than the current test rate implies.

A new reading on an older discovery

The well sits close to Katambi-1, a BP exploration well drilled in 2014/2015. BP later returned its stake to the Angolan state, saying the discovery was not commercially viable. In 2016, Sonangol estimated the pre-salt discovery could contain about 1.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent, mainly gas and condensate.

Katambi-2 therefore gives the field a new commercial reading. According to Sonangol and ANPG, quality metrics from Katambi-2 were higher than those from Katambi-1. ANPG said this was the first full flow test on a non-associated gas reservoir in Angola.

For Angola, the message is clear. The country remains an important African oil producer, but it also needs new gas-linked developments. A successful Katambi-2 reservoir appraisal would help diversify output and improve the economics of offshore exploration.

Investors will now watch for the next appraisal steps, a possible development concept, and whether Sonangol and ANPG can turn this reservoir quality into a sanctioned project. The key question is how quickly Katambi-2 can move from promising test results to commercial delivery.

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