Angola: TotalEnergies announces Acacia-5, a new discovery in block 17

TotalEnergies announced on Thursday, September 10, 2026, a new oil discovery in Angola, made with the Acacia-5 well in the offshore block 17. The French company stated that this development is expected to add approximately 6,000 barrels per day to the block’s production, which is one of its key assets in the country.

The discovery was made in June 2026, and TotalEnergies plans to accelerate production, aiming to bring it online within three months after drilling. The company is relying on the existing infrastructure of block 17 to quickly connect these additional volumes.

Block 17, located in deep offshore waters off the coast of Angola, includes the Girassol, Dalia, Pazflor, and CLOV fields. TotalEnergies operates in this area and has been pursuing expansion projects for several years to slow the natural decline of mature fields.

This announcement comes as Angola seeks to maintain its oil production around one million barrels per day. In 2025, the Begonia and CLOV Phase 3 projects, also operated by TotalEnergies, together added 60,000 barrels per day of production capacity offshore the country. The day before, the company had announced $10 billion in investments in Angola over five years.

Two new blocks in the Lower Congo Basin

Alongside Acacia-5, TotalEnergies has signed agreements with the National Agency for Oil, Gas, and Biofuels (ANPG) that allow it to take an operated stake of 40% in blocks 17/25 and 32/21 in the Lower Congo Basin.

These two areas had already been subject to regulatory oversight by Angolan authorities. Presidential decrees published at the end of July 2026 approved the corresponding risk service contracts and designated TotalEnergies EP Angola as the operator of concessions 17/25 and 32/21.

The company regards Angola as one of its strategic African markets. It operates several licenses in deep and ultra-deep offshore areas and ranks as the leading oil operator in the country, with approximately 1,500 employees according to its institutional data.

Blocks 17/25 and 32/21 add to an already focused portfolio on blocks 17 and 32, where TotalEnergies operates several floating production units. On September 9, ExxonMobil also announced an oil discovery in block 15. The new contracts for TotalEnergies cover exploration, research, development, and production of liquid and gas hydrocarbons.