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The 2024/2025 period has showed robust drilling activity across Africa, with the continent featuring 13 of the total 36 high-impact wells drilled globally in 2024. According to the African Energy Chamber’s State of African Energy 2025 Outlook Report, approximately 38% of these wells were drilled in frontier basins, with southern Africa leading in terms of high-impact exploration. Ongoing drilling campaigns show the promise of making basin-opening discoveries across the continent’s emerging and established markets, thereby rewriting the continent’s exploration history.

African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies – taking place September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town – will provide an update on Africa’s ongoing exploration campaigns. As Africa’s premier energy conference, the event drives new investment in exploration and production. With a strong lineup of speakers ranging from global operators and financiers to African governments and state-owned corporations, the event supports high-impact drilling by bringing together partners and investors.

Southern Africa

Southern Africa continues to lead in terms of high-impact drilling. In Namibia, Galp successfully completed the first phase of the Mopane exploration campaign in H1, 2024, with two exploration wells and one drill stem test completed. The first well (January 2024) penetrated multiple reservoir intervals, with initial flow rates showing 14,000 bpd. The second well (March 2024) discovered significant light oil columns across exploration and appraisal targets, while a third well drilled in November 2024 encountered light oil and gas condensate. Mopane-2A was spud in December 2024, while Mopane-3X confirmed a new discovery in January 2025. Additionally, Chevron completed drilling activities at the Kapana-1X exploration well at Namibia’s Block 2913B in January 2025. The well unfortunately did not encounter commercial hydrocarbons.

Meanwhile, TotalEnergies aims to drill up to seven exploration wells in South Africa’s Deepwater Orange Basin (DWOB), following receiving the requisite environmental approvals. DWOB lies in proximity to major discoveries made on the Namibian side of the basin. In Angola, ongoing drilling activities in the offshore Namibe basin by ExxonMobil aim to unlock a new frontier basin in southern Africa. The company began drilling the Arcturus-1 wildcat in July 2024, with the rig departing the project site in late-October. Azule Energy signed RSCs for exploration Blocks 46, 47 and 18/15, with plans to conduct frontier drilling. In Zimbabwe, Invictus Energy is advancing an onshore exploration campaign in the Cabora Bassa basin. The company is working on a phased multi-steam approach to unlock resources and has identified multiple drill-ready prospects. These include the Baobab-1 target. Looking ahead, the company is planning further appraisal drilling as it prepares for development drilling.

West and Central Africa

In West Africa, Apus Energy spud the Atum-1X well in Guinea-Bissau’s Block 2 in September 2024, targeting a prospect that could hold up to 314 million barrels of recoverable oil. Situated near Senegal’s Sangomar discovery, the drilling campaign represents the first offshore well drilled in the country in nearly two decades. In Central Africa, Kosmos Energy spud the Akeng Deep-1 well in Equatorial Guinea’s Block 5 in 2024, encountering oil zones in the Upper Albian. Although the well was not deemed commercial, drilling confirmed the elements of an active petroleum system in the interval, providing greater insights into the Lower Cretaceous.

In the Republic of Congo, TotalEnergies completed its ultra-deepwater Niamou Marine-1 exploration well in October 2024, which targeted a potential billion-barrel structure. Situated within the broader Marine-XX block, the campaign targets 1.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil or 2.7 trillion cubic feet of exploitable gas. Perenco is also advancing drilling efforts in the country, with two to three rigs operating for the next two years. The rigs will focus on drilling at Tchibouela-Est, Masseko, Emeraude and Marine XXVII. Perenco is also drilling in Gabon, spudding an appraisal well near the Hylia South West discovery – made in 2023. In São Tomé and Príncipe, Brazilian giant Petrobras acquired stakes in three exploration blocks – 10, 11 and 13 – in 2024. Alongside partners, the company plans to drill a well in Q3, 2025. Petrobras has also received approval from the government of Ivory Coast for a declaration of interest in nine blocks, with future drilling plans anticipated.

North and East Africa

As a frontier region, East Africa is pursuing new exploration projects. Genel Energy is working towards drilling the Toosan-1 exploration well in Somalia’s SL10B. In 2024, the company optimized the well plan to reduce cost and maximize efficiency of the well delivery process. While drilling was put on hold in 2025, the company remains committed to exploring the country’s oil and gas potential. In Egypt, both Chevron and Eni did not encounter commercial discoveries, with Chevron relinquishing its 45% stake in the country’s Red Sea Block 1 in April 2025. The company has since pivoted towards the Mediterranean shelf in the country. For its part, Eni’s Orion X1 in Egypt’s North East Hapy was deemed unsuccessful. However, the company is progressing with a multi-well campaign at the Zohr field.

AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit https://aecweek.com for more information about this exciting event.