Angola’s ANPG, ExxonMobil and Block 15 partners announce new offshore discovery

Angola’s National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG), ExxonMobil ​and partners in Angola’s offshore Block 15 ‌on Wednesday announced a new oil discovery at the Vicango Este-01 exploration well.

The new discovery was made in ​Block 15, a deepwater offshore block ​that has been one of Angola’s most productive ⁠oil-producing areas.

The well, located about 370 km (230 ​miles) northwest of the capital Luanda, was drilled ​to a depth of 940 metres (3,085 ft) and encountered around 25 metres of high-quality sandstone containing hydrocarbons, the ​companies said in a joint statement.

The discovery is ​the 20th in Block 15, which has produced more than ‌2.7 ⁠billion barrels of oil over the past 30 years, the statement said.

“Block 15 has been one of Angola’s most significant deepwater developments, and ​discoveries like ​this help ⁠increase the value of existing infrastructure while supporting future production opportunities,” ExxonMobil ​Angola CEO Brian Unietis said.

Angola, Sub-Saharan ​Africa’s ⁠second-biggest crude oil producer after Nigeria, has undertaken a major regulatory overhaul to encourage exploration investment ⁠as it ​looks to maintain production ​levels amid mature offshore fields.