The decline in production curves coincides with the scheduled departure of the Hilli Episeyo floating liquefaction unit, which will leave the territorial waters in July 2026 after an eight-year operational cycle off the coast of Kribi. The end of the industrial platform's operation, operated by the Norwegian shipowner Golar LNG in synergy with the French group Perenco and the National Hydrocarbons Corporation (SNH), temporarily deprives the state apparatus of its only liquefied natural gas (LNG) export infrastructure, whose shipment volume had been increased to 1.4 million tons per year in 2022.

The upstream oil reform strategy provides for a medium-term technical boost to reverse the depletion curve of historical fields. Government projections plan for a 14.9% increase in extractive activity in 2028, followed by an acceleration of 18.1% in 2029. The realization of the upward trajectory depends on the allocation of five new exploration blocks finalized by the SNH on April 24, 2026. The Bolongo field, located in the Rio del Rey sedimentary basin, has been awarded to the operator Octavia Energy Corporation Limited. Meanwhile, the firm Murphy West Africa Ltd has secured the exploration rights for four strategic blocks in the Douala/Kribi-Campo basin, named Etinde Exploration, Tilapia, Elombo, and Ntem.

However, the transition of exploration licenses to production phases remains subject to the lifting of heavy legal and industrial constraints. The Central African administrations must imperatively conclude the negotiations of the production sharing contracts (PSCs) and ensure the mobilization of the required international capital flows for drilling wells. The recovery schedule of the extractive branch remains dependent on the respect of the deadlines for the exploitation of structures by the oil consortia. The achievement of the projected financial balances for the 2028 horizon will depend exclusively on the state's ability to convert exploration options into effective barrel volumes to compensate for the logistical void left by the factory ship.


Nlend Flore

Tags: pétrole gaz cameroun production énergie gisements exploration industrie économie afrique