Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo

What Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo does

Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) is the state-owned national oil company of the Republic of Congo, established on 23 April 1998 as an établissement public à caractère industriel et commercial under the supervision of the Ministry of Hydrocarbons. It functions as the government's technical instrument in the petroleum sector and serves as custodian of the national petroleum data bank. SNPC operates across the full petroleum value chain through six wholly-owned subsidiaries: SONAREP (petroleum services), ILOGS (port terminal and logistics platform), SFP (drilling services), SNPC Trading (commodity trading), CORAF (refining near Pointe-Noire), and SNPC Distribution (the SNPC-D retail station network). Its registered capital stands at 81,334,654,844 FCFA (~$133M at 610 FCFA/USD), with headquarters in Brazzaville and a regional establishment in Pointe-Noire. The Director General, Maixent Raoul OMINGA, was first appointed on 28 February 2018 and reappointed on 3 March 2022.

SNPC's technical portfolio spans upstream exploration and production across operated and non-operated permits (including 15% in the TotalEnergies-operated Moho license, 40% in Perenco's Yanga Sendji, plus Kouakouala, Nanga, Mayombe, and Marine XXI/XXII), a comprehensive National Petroleum Data Management Center integrating geological, geophysical, and reservoir databases for both the Coastal Basin and the nine-block Interior Cuvette Basin, and pioneering natural (white) hydrogen and helium exploration in partnership with Xcalibur and HydroGenesis. Its flagship growth project is Marine XII LNG, anchored by a 20-year sale contract with Eni SPA signed on 14 September 2023 covering gas from the Litchendjili, Minsala, Néné Banga, and Nkala fields, with ~$5 billion committed to two floating liquefaction units (0.6 mtpa and 2.4 mtpa) targeting ~3 mtpa total. Complementary initiatives include the 50,000-hectare Eco Zamba afforestation carbon-sink project, gas supply to Centrale Electrique du Congo (up to 3 mscm/d), and SOCAR-supported modernization of CORAF refining.

SNPC generates revenue across five streams: (1) upstream production share from non-operated PSC interests and cost-recovery oil entitlements; (2) downstream refined product sales through the CORAF refinery and SNPC-D retail station network; (3) LNG export proceeds under the long-term Eni SPA contract; (4) petroleum data licensing via data rooms and bid rounds to international oil companies; and (5) domestic natural gas sales to the power sector. Pricing for domestic products is government-regulated and not publicly disclosed, while LNG pricing is contract-governed. Its go-to-market combines sales-led institutional engagement with the Government of Congo and IOC partners (Eni, TotalEnergies, Lukoil, Perenco, Trident Energy, Kosmos), event-driven promotion through Africa Oil Week, COP29, and bilateral government visits, and CSR-driven brand building via sports sponsorships and community programs.

Name

Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo

Legal name

Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo

Website

https://snpc-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

SNPC is the state-owned national oil company of the Republic of Congo, operating across upstream exploration and production, midstream logistics, downstream refining and distribution, and emerging LNG export and hydrogen exploration, anchored by six wholly-owned subsidiaries and a portfolio of non-operated PSC interests with Eni, TotalEnergies, and Perenco.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Oil and Gas Operations

NAICS

Oil and Gas Extraction (211), Crude Petroleum Extraction (21112), Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (3241), Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals (424710)

SIC

Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas (1311), Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389), Oil & Gas Field Exploration Services (1382), Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Distribution Company (LDC) Natural Gas Distribution Utilities (TLAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gas Distribution Operations (Day-to-Day Field & System Operations) (EUAJAAAB)

Keywords

• National oil company
• Upstream exploration production
• Petroleum refining distribution
• LNG export operations
• Petroleum logistics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brazzaville

HQ country

Congo - Brazzaville

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Upstream Production Revenues: SNPC holds participating interests (typically 15% non-operated) in oil and gas production assets in Congo, including the Moho license (with TotalEnergies as operator) and the Marine XII permit. Revenues are generated through SNPC's share of production and cost recovery under production sharing contracts.
2. Downstream Refining and Distribution: SNPC operates the downstream petroleum sector through its CORAF refinery subsidiary (refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, kerosene) and its SNPC-D retail station network covering Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. Revenues come from product sales into the domestic market.
3. LNG Export Revenues: Under the 20-year LNG sale contract signed in September 2023 between SNPC, Eni Congo, Lukoil, and Eni SPA, SNPC earns revenue from the export sale of LNG produced from the Marine XII gas fields (Litchendjili, Minsala, Néné Banga, and Nkala). Congo's domestic electricity supply also receives up to 3 million standard cubic meters per day from this project.
4. Petroleum Data Licensing: SNPC commercializes petroleum exploration and production data through data rooms, bid rounds, and online sales of interpreted data and eDocs, generating revenue from international oil companies seeking to invest in Congolese blocks.
5. Gas Supply to Power Sector: SNPC supplies up to 3 million standard cubic meters per day of natural gas to Centrale Electrique du Congo S.A. for power generation, serving the domestic electricity market.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) is the national oil company of the Republic of Congo, operating across the full petroleum value chain through six subsidiaries. It conducts upstream exploration and production under production sharing contracts with international oil companies, operates refining through its CORAF subsidiary, distributes petroleum products via its SNPC-D retail station network, exports LNG from the Marine XII permit, and provides integrated logistics and storage services through ILOGS.

Product overview

SNPC operates as a vertically integrated national petroleum company with two core divisions: Upstream Petroleum (Amont Pétrolier) covering exploration, production, and asset management across permits including Kouakouala, Nanga, and Mayombe; and Downstream Petroleum (Aval Pétrolier) encompassing refining, distribution, and trading through six subsidiaries (SONAREP, ILOGS, SFP, SNPC Trading, CORAF, and SNPC Distribution). The group has expanded into LNG with the Marine XII project featuring floating liquefaction units, and hydrogen/helium exploration through geophysical campaigns. Strategic initiatives include the Eco Zamba afforestation project and digital data management systems for petroleum asset promotion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eco Zamba: Afforestation and agroforestry project initiative by SNPC aimed at creating a 50,000-hectare carbon sink forest plantation in the Batéké Plateaux region, contributing to carbon neutrality by 2050.

Products and services

• Upstream Petroleum Operations Exploration, production, and asset management across multiple petroleum permits in Congo's coastal and inland basins, including Kouakouala, Nanga, Mayombe, Moho, Yanga Sendji, and Marine XII permits, with participating interests alongside international oil companies.
• Downstream Petroleum Operations Refining, distribution, and trading of petroleum products through SNPC's group subsidiaries, supplying gasoline, diesel, and kerosene to the Congolese domestic market.
• LNG Export (Marine XII Project) Liquefied natural gas export from the Marine XII permit, involving four gas fields (Litchendjili, Minsala, Néné Banga, and Nkala) sold under a 20-year contract with Eni SPA, featuring two floating liquefaction units with capacities of 0.6 mtpa and 2.4 mtpa, with plans to scale to approximately 3 mtpa total.
• White Hydrogen and Helium Exploration White hydrogen and helium exploration in the Congo Basin Interior through geophysical surveys and geochemical campaigns in partnership with Xcalibur and HydroGenesis, using hyperspectral spectrometry studies and satellite data analysis.
• Eco Zamba Afforestation Project Afforestation and agroforestry project spanning 50,000 hectares in the Plateaux Batéké region, designed as a natural carbon sink with sustainable forestry and agricultural development, targeting carbon neutrality by 2050.
• SONAREP Petroleum Services Subsidiary handling petroleum engineering and services within the SNPC Group, providing sector-specific services to the petroleum industry.
• ILOGS Integrated Logistics Services Subsidiary providing integrated logistics services, port terminal, and logistics platform dedicated to the petroleum industry, offering storage and transport services to upstream oil and gas companies operating in Congo.
• SFP Drilling Services Subsidiary providing oil well drilling services including mud logging, casing/tubing installation, and pumping/filtration services to upstream operators.
• SNPC Trading Operations Subsidiary handling petroleum trading operations within the SNPC group, including crude oil marketing and commercial transactions.
• CORAF Oil Refining Subsidiary operating the oil refinery near Pointe-Noire, processing crude oil into petroleum products (gasoline, diesel, kerosene) for domestic supply, with modernization projects for production capacity enhancement in cooperation with SOCAR.
• SNPC Distribution Retail Network Subsidiary managing the SNPC-D branded fuel distribution network through service stations across Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, including stations in Moungali, Bacongo, Talangaï, Kinsoundi, Centre-ville, Thystère, Case du Parti, and Tié-Tié.
• National Petroleum Data Management and Free Zone Promotion National petroleum data management center integrating E&P databases, geological/geophysical interpretation, and a promotional portal for Congolese petroleum domain, supporting licensing rounds, data room access, and online sales of interpreted data to international oil companies seeking to invest in Congolese blocks.

Quantifiable outcome

• LNG export capacity scaling to ~3 mtpa through multiple FLNG developments
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ARISE (Plateformes Industrielles du Congo - PIC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2026SNPC conducted a working visit on 6 June 2026 to the Loango Special Economic Zone (ZES), a 2,700-hectare industrial platform managed by ARISE through its PIC subsidiary. Discussions focused on potential synergies between SNPC and ARISE in industrial development and infrastructure optimization, particularly in downstream petroleum projects.
• SOCAR (Azerbaijan)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 23 April 2024SNPC signed an agreement with SOCAR (the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic) for the reliability and modernization of CORAF refinery installations and training of refinery personnel, aimed at improving downstream operational performance.
• FRMC (Forestry company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 September 2023SNPC signed a contract with FRMC on 21 September 2023 in Brazzaville for the implementation of the Eco Zamba afforestation project — a 50,000-hectare forest and agroforestry plantation, a natural carbon sink, in the Batéké Plateaux over 10 years. FRMC brings expertise in the design, creation, operation, and management of forest and agroforestry plantations.
• Eni SPAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2023SNPC signed a 20-year LNG sale contract with Eni SPA on 14 September 2023, together with Eni Congo and Lukoil, for the export of LNG produced from the Marine XII permit operated by Eni Congo. The contract builds on the Marine XII gas development (Litchendjili, Minsala, Néné Banga, and Nkala fields) with investments of approximately $5 billion for two FLNG units.
• Eni CongocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2023Eni Congo operates the Marine XII permit as part of a contractor group including SNPC and Lukoil. Eni Congo and SNPC jointly developed the first phase of Marine XII gas valorization (gas supply to Centrale Electrique du Congo) and the 20-year LNG export contract with Eni SPA. The two companies are also exploring Marine VI bis for additional gas resources.
• LukoilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2023Lukoil is a member of the Marine XII contractor group alongside SNPC and Eni Congo. Lukoil participated in the September 2023 LNG sale contract signing. SNPC also signed a separate MoU with Lukoil in May 2019 to study opportunities for joint participation in exploration, development, and production projects in Congo.
• SONATRACHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2023SNPC and Algeria's national oil company SONATRACH signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Algiers on 16 July 2023 (followed by a working session in Brazzaville in May 2024) covering information exchange on oil and gas, expertise sharing across the full value chain, training for SNPC staff, and LNG development experience. SONATRACH also plans to launch activities on energy production permits in Congo.
• TMK (Pipe Metallurgical Company)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2019SNPC and TMK signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Moscow on 23 May 2019 (during President Sassou-Nguesso's visit to Russia) for the construction of the Pointe-Noire/Loutété/Maloukou-Tréchot pipeline (~500km) for transporting petroleum products (kerosene, gasoline, diesel) in Congo. Technical teams continue working toward a financing and construction contract.
• CMECminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 23 May 2019CMEC (China Machinery Engineering Corporation) is the contractor responsible for construction of the Tour SNPC building in Brazzaville. SNPC's Director General visited the site on 3 June 2026 and praised the progress of construction work on this emblematic infrastructure.
• Kosmos EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2019Kosmos Energy signed a Production Sharing Contract for Marine XXI block with the Congolese government and SNPC on 4 March 2019. Kosmos also received an exclusive offer for Marine XXII block during the 2018-2019 free zone promotion round.
• TotalEnergies EP CongocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTotalEnergies EP Congo operates the Moho license with 63.5% participation, alongside Trident Energy (21.5%) and SNPC (15%). SNPC participates in the Moho G discovery (approximately 160 meters hydrocarbon column in Albian reservoirs) which, combined with Moho F, represents nearly 100 million barrels of recoverable resources for tie-back development to existing Moho production facilities.
• Trident EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrident Energy holds 21.5% non-operated participation interest in the Moho license alongside TotalEnergies (63.5% operator) and SNPC (15%).
• PerencominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerenco operates the Yanga Sendji permit in which SNPC acquired a 40% participation interest. Perenco also received an exclusive offer for the Youbi block during the 2018-2019 licensing round.
• Energie Electrique du Congo (E2C)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerE2C partnered with SNPC to electrify villages on the RN2 highway (Yié-Odziba section) where SNPC's foundation built water boreholes, serving approximately 11,600 residents.
• World Health Organization (OMS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSNPC and the WHO signed a partnership agreement to strengthen primary healthcare in Congo, represented by the SNPC Foundation and the WHO Country Office in Congo.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sonangol: Angola's national oil company with upstream, midstream, and downstream operations across the Congolese/Angola basin context. Operates as integrated NOC managing participating interests with IOCs, similar to SNPC's role in Congo, including LNG ambitions.
• Sonatrach: Algeria's national oil company, fully integrated across upstream exploration/production, LNG, pipelines, refining, and domestic distribution. Operates the same integrated NOC business model as SNPC at much larger scale, with comparable responsibilities for state energy security and revenue management.
• Perenco: Independent upstream operator with significant production in Congo, including the Yanga Sendji permit where SNPC acquired a 40% interest. Operates mature fields with similar asset profile and Congo basin geographic exposure as SNPC's participating interests.
• Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited: Nigeria's integrated national oil company operating across upstream, midstream, and downstream including refineries and retail. Plays the same NOC role as SNPC across the full petroleum value chain at substantially larger scale, with similar state ownership and partnerships with international oil companies.
• GEPetrol: Equatorial Guinea's national oil company managing state participation in upstream oil and gas projects including LNG (EG LNG). Operates as a smaller integrated NOC in the Gulf of Guinea with similar upstream/minor-operator dynamics to SNPC.
• Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH): Mozambique's national hydrocarbons company with upstream interests and LNG ambitions, focused on the Rovuma Basin gas resources. Comparable emerging African NOC model to SNPC, with state participation and IOC partnerships, particularly relevant given parallel LNG export trajectories.
• Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures (SNH): Cameroon's national oil company with upstream participating interests and downstream involvement in the Central African regional context. Closely comparable NOC model to SNPC, with both companies managing state interests in oil/gas permits and partnering with international operators in neighboring basins.

Broad incumbents

• Lukoil: Major international oil company and partner in the Marine XII contractor group alongside SNPC and Eni Congo, participating in the September 2023 LNG sale contract. Larger incumbent IOC with overlapping interest in Congo's upstream gas resources.
• Eni: Major international oil company that operates the Marine XII permit alongside SNPC and Lukoil, and signed the 20-year LNG offtake contract in September 2023. Operates the same Congo assets as SNPC from the operator side, with much larger scale and broader global portfolio including FLNG expertise.
• TotalEnergies: Major international oil company that operates the Moho license where SNPC holds a 15% participating interest, with Moho G and Moho F representing nearly 100 million barrels of recoverable resources. Larger incumbent with overlapping upstream and LNG ambitions in the Congo basin.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/snpcgroupe
• Facebookfacebook.com/snpc.cgo
• LinkedIncg.linkedin.com/company/soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9-nationale-des-p%C3%A9troles-du-congo-snpc
• Instagraminstagram.com/snpcgroupe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo