Luanda: Angola witnessed a surge in Merger and Acquisitions in recent months, as independent oil and gas companies strengthened their presence across the market. As the country prepares to launch its next licensing round in 2025 and continues promoting acreage available through its permanent offer scheme, this positive momentum is expected to continue. Leading independent oil and gas companies have joined the Angola Oil and Gas (AOG) conference to discuss investment strategies and upcoming projects.

According to African Press Organization, John Hamilton, CEO of Panoro Energy, is speaking at AOG 2025 - taking place September 3-4. The company has seen significant success in regional offshore markets, reporting steady production growth in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Tunisia this year. In 2025, Panoro Energy also made an offshore oil discovery at the Dussafu block in Gabon. The well contains up to 25 million barrels of recoverable resources and is set to support future production growth at the site. While the company does not have a presence in Angola as of yet, the country offers a wealth of block and partnership opportunities for Panoro Energy, particularly in offshore acreage where the company has extensive expertise.

Onshore, companies such as ReconAfrica are making a play for frontier discoveries. The company signed an agreement with Angola's upstream regulator - the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency - in April 2025 to explore 5.2 million acres in the Etosha-Okavango basin. Signaling ReconAfrica's entrance into Angola, the deal lays the foundation for a series of exploration activities over the next 24 months. ReconAfrica is also exploring in Namibia, where it has a license covering 6.3 million acres. During AOG 2025, Brian Reinsborough, CEO of ReconAfrica, is expected to shed light on the company's ongoing exploration activities.