Chevron confirmed an oil and gas condensate discovery at the 105-4X exploration well in Block 0, offshore Angola. Its subsidiary Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Limited drilled the well in the Lower Congo Basin, extending an exploration record built around existing production infrastructure.
The well encountered an oil and gas condensate column of more than 600 meters, or 2,000 feet, in the primary Pinda reservoir. More than 90 meters, or 300 feet, were described as net pay with excellent reservoir quality, distinguishing the productive interval from the total hydrocarbon-bearing column.
Those measurements confirm hydrocarbons and reservoir thickness at the well location, but they are not a reserve estimate. No recoverable-volume figure, flow-test rate, development budget, project sanction or first-production date has been announced, so commercial scale remains to be established through appraisal.
The discovery will be assessed as a possible tie-back to Chevron’s nearby facilities. Reusing platforms, pipelines and processing capacity can shorten schedules and reduce capital intensity compared with a standalone development, but the tie-back is an option under study rather than an approved project.
Cabinda Gulf Oil Company operates Block 0 with a 39.2% working interest. Sonangol E&P holds 41%, TotalEnergies 10% and Azule Energy 9.8%; the ownership structure means technical and investment decisions involve a consortium even though Chevron’s subsidiary is operator.
Chevron currently produces around 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day net across Sub-Saharan Africa. That figure describes its existing regional portfolio and must not be interpreted as output from 105-4X, which remains an exploration discovery without a disclosed production profile.
The company has also expanded its regional inventory: it farmed into Nigeria’s PPL2000 and PPL2001, received deepwater block PPL2010, secured three blocks in Guinea-Bissau and added five reconnaissance licenses in Equatorial Guinea. Three near-field exploration successes have been recorded in Nigeria since late 2024.
Further wells are planned across Angola and the region, including the high-impact Nabba-1X well on Namibia’s PEL90 before year-end. The strategic value of 105-4X will depend on appraisal results, recoverable volumes, partner approval, tie-back economics and the time required to convert subsurface evidence into production.