Oil and gas production in Angola registered a significant drop in the second quarter of 2025, with an estimated contraction of 10,2% compared to the same period of the previous year.

According to an analysis by the Economic Studies Department of Banco Fomento Angola (BFA), total oil production stood at 1,0 million barrels per day, reflecting the continued structural decline in national production capacity.

The analysis, released this week and sent to the bank's customers, is based on data from the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) that confirms a sharp downward trend in the performance of the national oil sector.

According to BFA analysts, this decline reinforces the pattern of decline in crude oil production in Angola, with a substantial drop also being observed in natural gas production. After a 3,3% growth recorded in the first quarter of this year, natural gas production reversed its trajectory between April and June, falling by approximately 8% compared to the same period in 2024.

This slowdown in extractive activity, both in crude oil and natural gas, supports the estimate of a general contraction of 10,2% in the oil sector during the second quarter of 2025.

The slowdown occurs in a context in which Angola is no longer a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), from which it withdrew in December 2023, following disagreements over the production quota imposed on the country, set at 1,17 million barrels per day.

At the time, the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, justified the decision by arguing that Angola no longer saw any advantages in remaining in the organization, particularly due to limitations that compromised national strategic interests.

Since then, Angola has struggled to surpass the 1,1 million barrels per day mark, remaining below that average. It should be noted that the country joined OPEC in 2006, becoming one of the main oil producers in Sub-Saharan Africa, a status that, despite the challenges, continues to significantly impact its economy.

The downward trajectory of oil and gas production places new demands on the Angolan government to rethink its exploration and economic diversification model.

While structural reforms in the sector are essential, attracting investment and technology to counter the downward trend is urgently needed. It remains to be seen whether Angola can transform this period of contraction into an opportunity to innovate and redefine its role in the regional and global energy market.