Depleted oil and gas reservoirs and existing energy infrastructure across Africa are emerging as potential foundations for carbon capture and storage (CCS) development, offering producers a way to repurpose upstream assets while reducing emissions from hydrocarbon operations.
Depleted reservoirs across North, West and Southern Africa could provide permanent underground CO₂ storage, while existing pipelines, processing facilities and industrial sites could potentially be incorporated into regional carbon transportation and storage networks.
The opportunity could extend beyond individual oil and gas projects. Capture facilities at refineries, power plants and industrial sites could feed shared pipeline or shipping networks transporting CO₂ to depleted reservoirs or saline aquifers, creating potential new uses for existing energy infrastructure.
South Africa is progressing work aimed at evaluating commercial CCUS applications. The Leandra pilot project in Mpumalanga has advanced research into deep saline formations, while the Council for Geoscience and Sasol are assessing opportunities to capture and store industrial emissions.
Nigeria is also developing its carbon-management framework through its National Carbon Market Framework and Carbon Market Activation Policy. The initiatives establish mechanisms for project registration and international carbon transfers as the country builds its carbon-storage knowledge base.
Elsewhere, Kenya is exploring basalt mineralization, in which injected CO₂ reacts with volcanic rock and becomes permanently mineralized. Additional onshore and offshore basins are also being evaluated for potential storage across the continent.
For oil and gas producers, CCS could provide an avenue to extend the use of existing reservoirs, pipelines and other infrastructure while supporting lower-emissions production. Commercial development, however, will depend on storage characterization, infrastructure investment and supportive regulatory and carbon-market frameworks.
The role of CCS in Africa’s oil and gas sector will be discussed during the Energy Additions Forum at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, including a panel focused on using carbon management to extend the value of existing energy assets.
“CCS gives Africa a practical pathway to reduce emissions while continuing to develop its oil and gas resources,” said NJ Ayuk, executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “With the right investment and policy frameworks, we can turn our geological resources and existing infrastructure into a new carbon-management industry.”
source: worldoil.com