Angola becomes Africa's largest oil producer

Angola is now producing over 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd) of high-quality crude oil from onshore and near-shore fields, up from 900,000 bpd in 2002 and from 500,000 bpd in 1993. Nigerias output has declined by a quarter from 2.5 million barrels bpd in 2006 as its production has been hit by rebel attacks, primarily the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).

Nigerias decline in production worries the West, and the British government recently agreed to provide training and logistical support to the Nigerian military to combat rebel attacks and to protect its own interestsprimarily British Petroleums (BP) activities in the country.

Angola too faces the threat of disruption to its onshore oil production from the rebel group Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda, though they are currently less well organised than MEND. Nevertheless, the threat has led Angola to redirect investment toward offshore deposits, where the ocean acts as a buffer against violent attacks.

The oil sector produces more than half of Angolas GDP and 95 percent of its exports, and the government is seeking to expand this by developing the countrys ultra-deep offshore oilfields, at a depth of 1,500 to 3,000 meters. They hope that this will add an estimated 500,000 bpd to the current output level. Energy consultant Wood Mackenzie currently predicts an unconstrained peak for Angolan oil production of between 2.2 million and 2.3 million bpd within five years.

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