Luanda: Murray Auchincloss, CEO of global energy company bp, has joined the Angola Oil and Gas (AOG) conference as a keynote speaker. His participation comes as bp - through its joint venture Azule Energy - advances a series of large-scale oil and gas developments in Angola, covering strategic investments from upstream exploration to oil production to non-associated gas development. Auchincloss' participation at the event reflects bp's broader commitment to Angola and is expected to unlock new opportunities for collaboration across the sector.

According to African Press Organization, with a long history in Angola, bp has played an instrumental role in unlocking significant value from the country's oil and gas resources. Initial forays by the energy major in the 1990s included the acquisition of four deepwater blocks, with a further five deep and ultra-deepwater blocks across the Kwanza and Benguela basins acquired in 2011. These investments marked the start of a decades-long commitment to Angola, with the energy major contributing significantly to the country's oil production. Many of these blocks continue to account for a significant share of the country's production portfolio, including Block 18 and 31 in the Lower Congo basin and Blocks 19 and 24 in the Kwanza and Benguela basin.

Following a merger of bp's Angolan assets in 2022 with those of energy major Eni, the companies further strengthened their operational stronghold in Angola. The merger led to the establishment of the largest independent equity producer of oil and gas in the country and one that continues to play a central role in Angola's oil and gas market. The company's asset portfolio comprises 18 licenses - of which 11 are operated by Azule Energy and one is situated in Namibia. Azule Energy also has a stake in the country's sole LNG facility: Angola LNG. With a target to increase oil production to 250,000 barrels per day - up from the current 210,000 bpd - while advancing non-associated gas development, Azule Energy is accelerating the development of several impactful projects.