Block 20/11 — Technical Profile

Block Overview

Block 20/11 is a deepwater exploration and production block in Angola's offshore Kwanza Basin, located approximately 100 km offshore in water depths of 1,600-1,800 meters. The block hosts the Cameia, Golfinho, Mavinga, Bicuar, and Zalophus pre-salt discoveries, with the Cameia and Golfinho fields forming the basis of the Kaminho development. The block is operated by TotalEnergies (40%) with Petronas (40%) and Sonangol (20%). The ANPG is the concessionaire under a Production Sharing Agreement.

Ownership History

Block 20/11 has a complex ownership history reflecting the challenges of frontier deepwater exploration. Cobalt International Energy, a Houston-based independent, originally held a 40% operating interest and conducted the landmark exploration campaign from 2012-2016, discovering the pre-salt play. Cobalt's bankruptcy in 2015 triggered a protracted ownership dispute with Sonangol over the $1.75 billion sale agreement, eventually settled through arbitration in 2018.

TotalEnergies entered in December 2018, acquiring interests from Sonangol for $400 million at closing with additional payments at FID ($100 million) and contingency payments capped at $250 million. In 2023, Petronas acquired its 40% stake for $400 million, completing the current consortium. The block also has connections to the adjacent Block 21/09, where TotalEnergies holds an 80% interest alongside Sonangol (20%).

Discovery Inventory

Cobalt's 8-well, 7-discovery campaign (88% success rate) identified multiple pre-salt accumulations across the block. The discoveries describe an arc from north to south: Cameia (2012, large oil accumulation), Loengo, Mupa, Orca, Golfinho (2016, oil), Zalophus (gas-condensate, Sonangol estimated 813 MMboe in-place), and Bicuar. Several companies participated in appraisal drilling — BP (Golfinho), Repsol (Cameia), Chevron (Zalophus) — but at the time (2014 oil price crash) the fields were classified as sub-commercial.

Current Activity

Beyond the Kaminho development, TotalEnergies continues active exploration on Block 20/11, including the Grenadier-1 well targeting pre-salt carbonates approximately 10 km from Golfinho. Ongoing appraisal at nearby accumulations (Lontra, Zalophus) could expand the resource base. For the development program, the SLB OneSubsea 13-well subsea production system is designed for phased expansion, and the FPSO Kaminho is engineered with capacity for potential future tie-backs.

For the project timeline, regulatory framework, and future basin potential, see our dedicated pages.