Oil and gas minister Clotaire Kondja said on Wednesday that Gabon plans to sign production sharing contracts with ExxonMobil and BP within the next six months, Reuters reports.
ExxonMobil declined to comment to Reuters on the minister’s stated timeline, and BP did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Both companies have signed preliminary exploration agreements covering offshore acreage in Gabon, seeking to add to their resource base.
Gabon is pursuing interest from IOCs in its offshore acreage to boost investments and domestic output, which has stabilised at around 200,000 bopd in recent years following mature-field redevelopments and new offshore tie-backs.
Independents have been leading much of the growth, with BW Energy expanding production through the BW Adolo FPSO at Dussafu Marin. The company also announced a substantial oil discovery in the Bourdon prospect in March 2026. Perenco remains the country’s top producer and midstream operator via the Cap Lopez terminal.
Earlier in April, Gabon signed a USD 1-billion deal with Trafigura for the exclusive offtake of the country’s profit oil – the Gabonese government’s share of domestic crude production after oil companies have recouped their costs.