Angola Revolutionizes Oil Licensing with Permanent Offer System
Angola has launched a groundbreaking overhaul of its upstream oil licensing framework, introducing a “permanent offer” model that allows oil blocks to be made available on a rolling basis rather than through traditional rigid licensing rounds. The National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG) designed this system to accelerate investment and eliminate bureaucratic delays.
Inspired by Brazil’s successful permanent offer regime, the new approach enables direct negotiations and offers greater flexibility in contract awards. Companies can now propose projects and initiate discussions on prospective blocks without waiting for formal tender processes, significantly shortening the timeline between discovery, development, and production.
The structural reform addresses Angola’s declining production challenges and aims to revitalize mature oil fields. Industry analysts suggest the model could attract both established international oil companies and emerging players seeking quicker entry into sub-Saharan Africa’s oil landscape, potentially setting a new regional standard for upstream licensing.
Source: Petroleum Economist
