Natural Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG): Building a Bridge to African Energy Security and Prosperity (By NJ Ayuk)

(MENAFN- News.Africa-Wire) JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, December 23, 2025/ -- By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber ().

Africa is awakening to the power of its natural gas reserves, recognizing that among its many resources, natural gas offers a reliable and expedient track to economic growth and energy independence.

In our “State of African Energy: 2026 Outlook Report," the African Energy Chamber (AEC) details how the energy matrices of several gas-producing nations are pivoting from holding gas back as mainly an export product to building gas-centric domestic markets.

We regard this crossover not as some hopeful economic gamble, but as an essential step that all gas-producing nations on the continent must take if Africa is to benefit fully from its fossil fuel reserves and build up true self-relianc— — without apol—gy — just as the developed nations of the world did when it was their time.

As our report makes clear, domestic gas demand in Africa is ready to surge in the coming years, driven primarily by rising power needs. At this pivotal juncture, several African nations serve as prime case studies on how forward-looking investments in gas production can power whole industries, create new jobs, and stabilize grids in places where such improvements are desperately needed. Additionally, their stories exemplify how, amid a global energy transition, natural gas will serve as a bridge fuel that will power Africa into its own sustainable future.

Angola's Gas Renaissance: From Exports to Domestic Growth

In Angola, the oil and gas sector has seen its economic footprint shrink over the last decade amid declining output. Regardless, Angolan policymakers are well aware of the vast untapped value in the country's gas reserves, and recent industry moves reflect a commitment to realizing their potential.

Angola's journey into the global gas arena began with the construction of the Angola LNG liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in 2008. This transformed associated gas (gas found in wells alongside crude oil), which was previously flared or reinjected, into exportable LNG — slashing upstream emissions in the process.

The raw natural gas (or feedstock) that is processed and liquefied to produce LNG initially came from key offshore blocks operated by ExxonMobil, Total, and Eni/BP, and was augmented later with gas from other blocks operated by Eni/BP and Chevron. Though half of the associated gas produced in Angola today is still reinjected into wells to maintain pressure and enhance oil recovery, recent progres— — like the December 2024 achievement of first gas from the Sanha Lean Gas proj—ct — aims to boost supply volumes to the Angola LNG plant.

Angola has also begun to pivot toward non-associated gas fields in areas like the Lower Congo basin. The New Gas Consortium, a joint venture headed up by Azule Energy, is targeting numerous developments on multiple blocks that are expected to ramp up LNG capacity by 2026.

Post 2010 exploration in the southern Kwanza Basin offshore led to giant non-associated gas discoveries. While exciting, we at AEC are frustrated that those finds remain stranded due to a lack of gas export infrastructure in the area and the high cost and difficulty of deepwater drilling wher’ they’re located.

The Kaminho project, which targets condensate-rich pre-salt discoveries in the Cameia and Golfinho fields, is the first operation under development in block 20 of the Kwanza basin. Condensate/light oil recovery is the current priority at the site, and the extent of development will depend on the completion of the Kaminho floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) unit expected in 2028. As our report speculates, the possibility of a network between Kaminho and the appraisal programs at the Lontra, Zalophus, and Bicuar fields in the same region could encourage development of gas transport infrastructure leading to Angola LNG at Soyo or central Angola.

The Angolan government seeks to expand its pipeline network, which may involve gas evacuation from Cameia-Golfinho to the coastal point of Caboledo and an onshore pipeline to Luanda and Soyo to satisfy local demand, but project costs and the necessary transportation tariffs are holding up investment. Funding for such developments could potentially come from upstream firms or international banks with added tax breaks to make them viable.

In the long term, gas blowdown operations at maturing oil fields in the Congo Fan could also supply Angola LNG, leveraging existing midstream infrastructure for extended production into the 2030s.

Domestically, Angola is allocating more gas to power generation, with supplies feeding the 750-megawatt (MW) Soyo combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant that has been balancing hydropower fluctuations since its start in 2018. But ambitions extend further: the Angola Gas Master Plan calls for fertilizer (ammonia) and methanol facilities by 2030, which would spur a massive increase in gas demand. The proposed ammonia plant, set for construction in 2025 and operations by 2027, could demand up to 80 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) by 2035. Power expansions and conversions from oil will also drive demand, while opportunities in petrochemicals, direct gas exports, or mining electrification could diversify use.

By integrating LNG exports with local needs, Angola exemplifies how Africa can benefit from its resources while encouraging economic diversification and reducing dependence on imports.

Emerging LNG Exporters: Mauritania and Senegal's Shared Success

Shifting north, Mauritania and Senegal have stepped into the LNG scene. They became exporters in 2025 with the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project, a shared deepwater startup. This cross-border venture, featuring subsea infrastructure, an FPSO, and a floating LNG (FLNG) unit, has already generated approximately 3,000 local jobs and engaged roughly 300 domestic companies.

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