A quiet transformation is reshaping the energy landscape of Cameroon, a resource-rich nation in Central Africa. In 2025, Addax Petroleum, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sinopec, produced approximately 5.8 million barrels of crude oil, accounting for nearly 30% of Cameroon’s total national crude output and emerging as a vital player in the country’s upstream oil and gas sector.
This figure demonstrates the fruitful long-term operations of Chinese-funded energy firms in Africa, while also reflecting structural adjustments and external reliance within Cameroon’s petroleum industry amid natural production decline from mature oilfields.
Cameroon’s national crude oil output slid from 21.3 million barrels in 2024 to an estimated 19.8 million barrels in 2025, a drop of roughly 1.5 million barrels. Against this backdrop, Addax Petroleum delivered steady production growth.
Official publications from Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures du Cameroun (SNH) show that Addax drilled 16 new wells in 2025, maintaining annual output at around 5.8 million barrels with an average daily production of nearly 16,000 barrels of oil equivalent. While its daily output remains lower than sector leader Perenco at 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent, stable performance amid an overall industry downturn stands out remarkably.
Addax’s operations are concentrated in the Iroko and Mokoko Abana blocks, both in the middle-to-late development phase. Sustained capital and technical investment has effectively slowed the natural decline rate of oil production at the two blocks.
To sustain and boost output, Addax has committed a total investment of USD 528.73 million (approximately 289.9 billion CFA francs) to the two core blocks. The massive investment will fund three key areas:
The investment underscores Addax’s confidence in Cameroon’s resource potential and Sinopec’s long-term overseas development strategy. Instead of chasing short-term high profits, the company drives sustainable operation through integrated technology and capital investment.
Perenco, a French-British joint venture, remains Cameroon’s largest oil and gas operator with a daily output of 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent split equally between oil and gas, ranking first in the market. Addax’s daily production stands below 20,000 barrels.
Nevertheless, Perenco’s output contains a large volume of natural gas, whereas Addax’s production consists almost entirely of crude oil. This makes Addax far more influential in pure crude oil supply. Given Cameroon’s heavy reliance on crude exports for fiscal revenue, Addax’s consistent output carries critical strategic significance for the national government.
Cameroon’s Ministry of Finance forecasts that the rollout of investment plans by operators including Addax will lift national crude oil output to 20.8 million barrels in 2026 and further to 22.1 million barrels in 2027. The next two years will mark a critical recovery window for Cameroon’s oil and gas industry.
Backed by Sinopec, a top Fortune Global 500 enterprise, Addax boasts mature overseas operation experience and in-depth insights into African markets. It is poised to take on a more central role throughout the industry recovery cycle.
Addax’s success in Cameroon represents an evolving model of China-Africa energy collaboration. Previously, Chinese enterprises investing in Africa were often unfairly labeled as resource extractors. Today, operators like Addax are reshaping this stereotype by prioritizing local employment, technology transfer, community development and environmental protection.
In its eastern and southern operational zones across Cameroon, Addax has long funded local education, medical care and infrastructure projects, building sound partnerships with the government and local communities. Its win-win, symbiotic development philosophy lays the foundation for stable operation amid complex political and economic conditions.
Cameroon’s petroleum industry is entering a new chapter, with Chinese enterprises evolving from peripheral participants to core contributors. As the Belt and Road Initiative aligns closely with Africa’s Agenda 2063, Chinese energy companies such as Addax Petroleum will serve as key bridges fostering a closer China-Africa community with a shared future.
