BP Backs Angola Gas Start-Up as Quiluma Field Begins Production

<p>BP has <a href="https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/news-and-insights/press-releases/bp-confirms-production-start-up-from-the-new-gas-consortium-project-in-angola.html">confirmed</a> the start-up of gas production from the Quiluma field, part of the New Gas Consortium project in Angola, in a move that marks a significant step for the country’s gas sector and LNG export chain.</p>
<p>The project, operated by Azule Energy, is Angola’s first non-associated gas development, separating it from the oil-linked gas projects that have historically dominated the country’s upstream sector. Initial output from Quiluma is expected at 150 million standard cubic feet per day, with production set to rise to 330 million standard cubic feet per day by the end of 2026.</p>
<p>Gas from the shallow-water offshore field will be processed onshore before being delivered to the Angola LNG plant for export, reinforcing Angola’s efforts to build a more diversified energy mix and deepen its role in global natural gas markets.</p>
<p>For BP, the start-up adds to a broader run of upstream project deliveries and exploration successes tied to Azule Energy, its 50:50 joint venture with Eni. Azule holds a 37.4% interest in the New Gas Consortium. Other partners include Cabinda Gulf Oil Company with 31%, Sonangol E&amp;P with 19.8%, and TotalEnergies with 11.8%, while Angola’s National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels serves as concessionaire.</p>
<p>The launch also extends a busy period for Azule in Angola. In July 2025, the company brought the Agogo field online through the Agogo Integrated West Hub project in Block 15/06 offshore Angola. It then announced the start-up of the Ndungu development in February 2026. The consortium partners had already inaugurated the NGC gas treatment plant in Soyo in November 2025, setting the stage for first gas from Quiluma.</p>
<p>Azule’s momentum has not been limited to project execution. Since the start of 2025, the company has announced four hydrocarbon discoveries, including the Algaita-01 and Gajajeira-01 gas finds in Angola, alongside the Volans-1X and Capricornus-1X discoveries in Namibia’s Orange Basin. That discovery pipeline has helped position Azule as one of the more active exploration and production players in the region.</p>
<p>The Angola gas start-up also fits into BP’s wider upstream growth plan. The company said it made 12 discoveries in 2025 across multiple basins and started up seven major upstream projects over roughly the same period, with five delivered ahead of schedule. Those projects spanned Trinidad and Tobago, the UK North Sea, Egypt, Mauritania and Senegal, and the Gulf of America. BP is targeting 10 major project start-ups globally by the end of 2027.</p>