International energy company Azule Energy was recognized as the Exploration & Production Leader of the Year at this year’s African Energy Awards and Gala Dinner. Hosted during the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies conference, the accolade comes as the company advances a series of ambitious exploration projects in Angola.

This year has marked a defining moment for Azule Energy in Angola as it continues to consolidate its position as a regional energy powerhouse. In August 2025, the company achieved first oil at the Agogo FPSO in Block 15/06 – one of the country’s most technically advanced offshore projects – followed by the launch of the first cargo in September. The FPSO joins the operational Ngoma facility to harness resources from the Agogo and Ndungu fields, with peak production expected to reach 175,000 barrels per day (bpd).

The Agogo FPSO represents the second phase of the Agogo Integrated West Hub Development, a project that underscores Angola’s commitment to sustainable, high-efficiency offshore operations. Azule Energy is now preparing for the third phase, which will include the disconnection of the Ngoma facility to optimize operating expenditure and further streamline production. With total production already surpassing 210,000 bpd, the company is on track to achieve its broader goal of 370,000 bpd through a balanced mix of exploration, development and enhanced recovery initiatives.

Beyond Agogo, Azule Energy continues to advance a robust upstream portfolio that reinforces Angola’s long-term competitiveness as a petroleum producer. In September 2025, the company signed a landmark agreement with the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) for Block 31, located in the ultra-deepwaters of the Lower Congo Basin. The agreement consolidates four producing fields – Plutão, Saturno, Vênus and Marte – under a single development framework, extending the license to 2032. The move is expected to improve recovery rates and generate new production synergies across the basin.

Exploration remains central to Azule Energy’s growth strategy. The company plans to drill new wells in Block 15/06 in 2026, leveraging Angola’s 2024 Incremental Production Decree, which incentivizes reinvestment in mature fields. Simultaneously, Azule Energy will spud a frontier exploration well in Block 47, marking the first drilling activity in the block.

In 2025, the company also made headlines with a major gas discovery at the Gajajeira-01 well in Block 1/14, estimated to hold up to one trillion cubic feet of gas and 100 million barrels of condensate. The find strengthens Angola’s ambition to become a leading regional gas producer. Central to this vision is the New Gas Consortium, led by Azule Energy, which is spearheading Angola’s first non-associated gas development through the Quiluma & Maboqueiro project. On track for first production in 2025, the project will supply processed gas to the Angola LNG facility, enabling domestic power generation and export.

“Azule Energy represents the future of African exploration and production. Its multi-faceted approach – reinvesting in mature fields while pursuing frontier exploration – reflects a bold development strategy in Africa. By advancing deepwater production and natural gas infrastructure, the company is transforming Angola’s upstream landscape,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.