The Republic of Congo’s (ROC) national oil company (NOC) Société nationale des pétroles du Congo (SNPC) is set to officially present its Gas Master Plan at the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy 2024 (AEW2024) conference in Cape Town in November.

The proposed Gas Master Plan (GMP) aims to unlock the full potential of the country’s natural gas resources, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) said in a press release on September 25. It will set a framework that facilitates investment in developing the ROC’s natural gas resources, estimated at 10 trillion cubic feet, or 283bn cubic metres (bcm).

Additionally, the GMP outlines a strategy to enhance the monetisation and use of gas by focusing on infrastructure development, such as gas processing plants, pipelines, and power generation facilities. Its goal is to reduce dependence on energy imports and increase domestic production while promoting local industry growth.

The ROC this year achieved delivery of its first LNG shipment to Italy from the Congo LNG project’s Tango floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility, which has a liquefaction capacity of 1bcm annually.

A second FLNG vessel with an annual capacity of 3.5bcm will begin production in 2025. This project, backed by a 2023 sales and purchase agreement (SPA) between SNPC, Italian energy major Eni, and Russian multinational energy corporation Lukoil, aims to initially produce 600,000 tonnes per year (tpy) of LNG, reaching up to 2.4mn tpy by 2025.

Furthermore, the SNPC is advancing gas utilisation for domestic industries through projects like the Banga Kayo oilfield, led by China’s Wing Wah Oil Company. This initiative focuses on monetising previously flared gas and will produce LNG, LPG, butane, and propane for the local market. The project involves three phases, with the first train having a capacity of 1mn cubic metres (mcm) per day, and the second and third trains each increasing capacity to 2mcm per day by March and December 2025, respectively.

In addition, the SNPC aims to increase oil production in the country from 259,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 500,000 bpd by next year. To boost exploration, the SNPC partnered with an oil and gas independent Perenco last November to conduct offshore 3D seismic surveys targeting key permits. This collaboration aims to identify future drilling locations and enhance exploration success, showcasing effective public-private sector partnerships.

“By unveiling their Gas Master Plan, SNPC is taking significant steps to eradicate energy poverty and maximise the monetisation of the country’s rich natural resources,” AEC executive chairman NJ Ayuk said in the statement.

“Their commitment to local content development has positioned the country to empower communities and stimulate economic growth. We commend SNPC for their leadership in transforming natural gas into a catalyst for broader economic progress,” he added.

The SNPC has been instrumental in positioning the ROC as a competitive oil exporter while also working to diversify its energy sources through gas-related initiatives, such as the GMP. SNPC’s efforts to improve energy infrastructure, strengthen the local workforce, and ensure that oil and gas revenues contribute to national development goals demonstrate its broader commitment to sustainable energy development, says the AEC.