Chevron finds 600-meter pay column at Angola's Block 0Analysis

Chevron has a discovery it may not need new infrastructure to develop. The company's Angola subsidiary, Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Limited (CABGOC), confirmed an oil and gas condensate find at the 105-4X exploration well in Block 0, offshore Angola, with a hydrocarbon column of more than 600 meters (2,000 feet) in the Pinda reservoir and more than 90 meters (300 feet) of net pay. Chevron said it will assess the find for development as a tie-back to its existing facilities nearby. A tie-back connects a new well to platforms and pipelines a company already operates, rather than building a new standalone development.

A large column in a familiar basin

The 105-4X well was drilled in the Lower Congo Basin, where Chevron already produces within Block 0. The Pinda reservoir is the primary target at the well, and Chevron describes the reservoir quality found there as excellent.

Who holds Block 0

Chevron, through CABGOC, operates Block 0 with a 39.2 percent working interest. The remaining stakes are held by Sonangol E&P at 41 percent, TotalEnergies at 10 percent, and Azule Energy at 9.8 percent.

Kevin McLachlan, Chevron's vice president of exploration, called the find "another important milestone for Chevron's over 70-year history in Angola."

Part of a wider push across the region

The find adds to a broader upstream campaign across Sub-Saharan Africa, where Chevron currently produces around 300 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day net. Over the past 12 months, Chevron farmed into two offshore blocks in Nigeria, PPL2000 and PPL2001, and was awarded a deepwater block, PPL2010, in the country's latest bid round. It has also logged three near-field exploration successes in Nigeria since late 2024: Meji NW-1, South Delta AA and Awodi-07.

In Guinea-Bissau, Chevron holds three blocks, including Block 4B, which it newly acquired and closed on August 13, 2026. In Equatorial Guinea, it secured five additional reconnaissance licenses. Within Angola, Chevron is also exploring Blocks 49 and 50, Block 33, and Block 14/23. The company said it is preparing a multi-well exploration program across the region, including the Nabba-1X well on Namibia's PEL90 license before year-end.