Afentra has been awarded a 35% operated interest in the KON4 block, located in onshore Angola, following formal approval of the Risk Service Contract (RSC) by Presidential Decree.
The company secured the licence in partnership with local entities Grupo Simples Oil, Sonangol E&P, Brite's Oil and Gas, and Sodedurs.
The KON4 block lies within the onshore Kwanza basin and adds to Afentra’s operated portfolio in Angola. The area contains several legacy oil fields, including the Quenguela Norte field, which is said to be the largest onshore discovery in the basin to date.
Quenguela Norte is estimated to have more than 200 million barrels (mbbl) of discovered oil in place in Tertiary reservoirs.
Peak production from the field previously reached 12,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd). A total of 46mbbl were recovered before operations ceased and the field was abandoned in 1999.
KON4 covers 1,387km² in a region that has historically produced both oil and gas, with a total output of over 90 million barrels of oil equivalent (mboe) from 11 oil and two gas fields.
The new risk service contract offers potential for field re-development and overlooked near-field exploration, particularly in Tertiary and Cretaceous age plays.
The block’s location, close to the Luanda refinery and existing transport infrastructure, may support early production and export.
Afentra’s technical team has commenced initial subsurface evaluations on KON4, focusing on the potential to restart production from Quenguela Norte.
The contractor group is also reviewing local permitting requirements and integrating data from a recent high-resolution eFTG survey with existing seismic data to assess broader exploration prospects.
Afentra CEO Paul McDade said: “The formal award of KON4 is a significant milestone for Afentra, adding an operated position to our growing onshore Kwanza basin portfolio and reinforcing our commitment to building a material presence in this under-explored but highly prospective basin.
“KON4 brings a compelling mix of near-term redevelopment potential - anchored by the Quenguela Norte field - and meaningful exploration upside, supported by favourable fiscal terms and proximity to the Luanda refinery.
“Together with our non-operated interests in KON15 and KON19, we now hold a well-rounded and complementary position across the basin. We look forward to progressing the work programme with our partners and will provide further updates as our technical evaluation advances.”
Under the awarded licence, ownership of the KON4 block is split with Afentra and Grupo Simples Oil each holding 35%, Sonangol E&P with 20%, and Brite's Oil and Gas and Sodedurs each controlling 5%.
