The African portfolio for energy supermajor Chevron is entering a new phase of exploration-led growth. This is as international energy companies continue to pursue new discoveries across frontier basins and established producing hubs.
For Chevron, Namibia has emerged as one of the most closely watched exploration regions in the world following a series of major deepwater discoveries in the Orange Basin. Chevron is currently evaluating prospects in the Walvis Basin, where the company plans to drill a new exploration well in PEL 82 between 2026 and 2027. The campaign follows earlier drilling in the Orange Basin, reflecting the company’s continued interest in Namibia’s rapidly evolving offshore petroleum system.
Chevron has appointed Emmanuelle Garinet as director of exploration for the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa, bringing one of the upstream industry’s most experienced exploration geophysicists into a strategic leadership role overseeing discovery efforts across two of the world’s most important hydrocarbon regions.
In a recent statement, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) welcomed the appointment, stating that Garinet’s move to Chevron serves as a positive signal for Africa’s exploration sector. For the AEC, placing an executive with decades of African exploration experience at the helm of a major international oil company’s discovery strategy could help unlock new investment across frontier basins, accelerate geological understanding and strengthen collaboration between operators and host governments.
Garinet has also been a prominent advocate for African energy development and has frequently spoken at the annual African Energy Week conference in Cape Town, where she has highlighted the role of advanced seismic data, frontier exploration and efficient permitting systems in unlocking new opportunities across the continent.
Meanwhile, in West Africa, Chevron is expanding its deepwater presence in Nigeria after acquiring a 40% stake from TotalEnergies in offshore licenses PPL 2000 and PPL 2001. The company is expected to deploy a drilling rig in late 2026, targeting resources near the Agbami field as part of a broader deepwater growth strategy.
Angola remains a cornerstone of Chevron’s African portfolio, where, in December 2025, the company achieved first oil at the South N’dola platform in Block 0, producing approximately 25,000 barrels of oil per day using existing infrastructure. Associated gas from the project is routed to the Angola LNG plant, supporting the country’s gas monetisation strategy while reducing flaring.