Total wins new exploration permit as Congo seeks to ramp up oil production

Congo has awarded French oil giant Total a permit to explore a block off its coast, the company said Monday.

Total's Congo affiliate will operate the block with a 50% stake while QatarEnergy will keep 35%. The rest will belong to Congo's state oil company, SNPC.

The permit is for the Nzombo area located 100km off Pointe-Noire on the Atlantic Ocean.

Nzombo's size is 1,000 square kilo metres.

According to Total, the drilling of the first exploration well is expected to happen before the end of 2025.

Total currently produces 65,000 barrels of oil per day in the Republic of Congo.

From January to July 2025, the country produced 56.9 million barrels (268 thousand b/d), which is 5.2% more than a year earlier.

The target is to produce 500,000 bpd by 2027.