Luanda, Angola’s capital
Angolan refining poised for expansion
Work is set to begin on a new greenfield refinery in the north of the country, with other developments also seeing progress
Angola has announced various refining projects over the last 20 years or so with little or no physical progress. However, a 2019 deal between state-owned Sonangol and Italy’s Eni is beginning to produce results. The agreement includes refurbishing the 56,000bl/d Luanda facility near the capital and the development of two new refineries—Soyo and Cabinda—that have been on the drawing board in various iterations for years. Although it is Africa’s second-largest crude producer—with output of 1.3mn bl/d—Angola’s downstream sector has lagged. Throughput is limited to the ageing Luanda facility and the 16,000bl/d Malongo topping unit run by Chevron in the Cabinda exclave, and Luanda’s functional ca
Also in this section
23 January 2026
A strategic pivot away from Russian crude in recent weeks tees up the possibility of improved US-India trade relations
23 January 2026
The signing of a deal with a TotalEnergies-led consortium to explore for gas in a block adjoining Israel’s maritime area may breathe new life into the country’s gas ambitions
22 January 2026
As Saudi Arabia pushes mining as a new pillar of its economy, Saudi Aramco is positioning itself at the intersection of hydrocarbons, minerals and industrial policy
22 January 2026
New long-term deal is latest addition to country’s rapidly evolving supply portfolio as it eyes role as regional gas hub
