Angola’s national oil company Sonangol has signed two agreements with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a private university based in Boston, United States, for strengthening cooperation and knowledge-transfer in the fields of oil, gas and critical minerals.
The agreements – dubbed the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (MIT-ILP) and MIT Africa – seek to strengthen Africa and United States ties by facilitating greater collaboration and skills development opportunities.
The agreements were signed by Sonangol CEO Sebastião Gaspar Martins and MIT Executive Vice President Glan Shor during a meeting presided over by Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas Diamantino Azevedo.
A core focus of the meeting and the subsequent agreements was to explore opportunities to support Angolan resource development by leveraging global research, innovation and technology.
With goals to increase oil production, diversify the industry through innovative gas projects and advance the development of alternative energy sources such as green hydrogen, Angola has committed to working with global partners to transform ideas into solutions.
The agreements serve as catalysts for these objectives by laying the foundation for bilateral research and development.
According to Minister Azevedo, this program will enable Sonangol to directly interact with MIT research centers in key areas, thereby accelerating innovation in the oil sector while facilitating a just energy transition.
The agreements come as Angola and the US take concrete steps to deepen strategic partnerships within the oil, gas, critical mineral and renewable energy sectors.
Meetings held by Minister Azevedo and the US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright this week highlighted areas of cooperation, with the parties committing to working together to achieve a balanced energy transition.
In the oil and gas space, companies such as ExxonMobil and Chevron continue to make significant strides towards unlocking greater exploration and production opportunities.
ExxonMobil has recently extended its license for Angola’s Block 17 – one of the country’s longest-producing assets – in partnership with TotalEnergies.
The company is also seeking play-opening discoveries in the offshore Namibe basin while drilling new wells under the country’s Incremental Production Initiative.
Chevron is making in-roads in the natural gas sector with its stakes in the Angola LNG plant and upstream gas projects.
In late-2024, the company started production at the Sanha Lean Gas Connection project, which increases feedstock for Angola LNG – supporting exports.
Chevron also has stakes in the New Gas Consortium, the operator of Angola’s first non-associated project, coming online in late-2025. Leveraging the expertise of these players and strengthened cooperation in research and development, Angola is well-positioned to realize its industry goals.