Nguya FLNG adds 2.4 mtpa to the 0.6-mtpa Tango FLNG facility, transforming the scale of Congo’s LNG industry. But with the infrastructure now in place, the next phase of the country’s gas strategy will increasingly be determined upstream: maintaining feedgas for the two facilities, connecting additional resources and adding new discoveries that could support longer-term growth.

These investment requirements will take center stage at the Congo Energy & Investment Forum (CEIF) 2027, taking place June 1–3 in Brazzaville. Bringing together government, operators, investors and service companies, the forum will examine the next phase of Congo’s energy development, with gas exploration, field development and infrastructure investment central to sustaining the country’s emerging LNG industry.

From New Exporter to 3-MTPA Producer

Congo LNG draws gas from the Nené and Litchendjili fields in the offshore Marine XII license. Phase 2 combines three production platforms with the Scarabeo 5 gas treatment and compression unit and the Nguya FLNG facility, creating an integrated system supplying both Nguya and Tango.

The speed of development has been significant. Phase 1 started production in December 2023, followed by Congo’s first LNG cargo in February 2024. Nguya reached start-up just 35 months after construction began, lifting total liquefaction capacity to 3 mtpa in early 2026.

The system has also been designed with additional resources in mind. Nguya can process gas with different compositions, providing flexibility for the potential integration of additional fields and discoveries into the LNG infrastructure.

Congo’s gas development extends beyond exports. Eni supplies gas to Centrale Électrique du Congo, which accounts for around 70% of national power capacity. The company is also separately rehabilitating the high-voltage transmission line between Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville – the same corridor whose losses have constrained electricity delivery to the capital. Gas monetization is therefore supporting both LNG exports and domestic power generation.

The government is now developing the regulatory and institutional framework for a broader gas industry. A Gas Master Plan, a new Gas Code and the creation of a national gas company are in the works as Congo seeks to commercialize additional resources and attract investment across the value chain.

The Next Challenge is Feedgas

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that Congo holds approximately 10 trillion cubic feet of proved natural gas reserves. Congo LNG’s 3-mtpa design capacity is equivalent to approximately 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas annually, making continued resource development important to sustaining exports alongside domestic gas requirements over the longer term.

This places greater emphasis on exploration, appraisal and the development of discoveries that can eventually be connected to existing infrastructure. The configuration of Congo LNG provides a potential advantage: rather than requiring an entirely new export system for every additional resource, future gas volumes in and around Marine XII could potentially leverage infrastructure already established around Tango and Nguya.

Other operators are already expanding the country’s upstream gas footprint. Trident Energy completed the acquisition of Chevron’s Congo assets in January 2025, adding interests in the Moho-Bilondo, Nkossa and Nsoko II fields to its portfolio. Perenco, meanwhile, is monetizing associated gas within its operations, including through the Kombi 2 platform, which recovers approximately seven million cubic feet per day and uses gas-fired turbines to supply eight MW of power.

Congo’s LNG growth is now shifting the investment focus upstream. With 3 mtpa of liquefaction capacity in place, new exploration, field developments and infrastructure will be critical to sustaining supply and supporting further growth – investment priorities that will be central to discussions at CEIF 2027 in Brazzaville.

Organized by Energy Capital & Power in collaboration with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons, CEIF 2027 will enable candid dialogue, facilitating new investments and deals in the country’s energy sector. For more information, visit www.congoenergyinvestment.com.