Addax drilled 16 wells and produced about 5.8 million barrels in 2025.
The operator has committed $528.7 million on the Iroko and Mokoko Abana blocks.
Cameroon’s crude output is expected to fall in 2025 before recovering from 2026.
Addax Petroleum strengthened its position in Cameroon’s upstream oil sector in 2025, even as national crude production declined. According to the information magazine of the National Hydrocarbons Corporation (SNH), reviewed by Business in Cameroon, the operator drilled 16 wells during the year and accounted for about 30% of national crude oil production, or close to 5.8 million barrels. Addax is a subsidiary of China’s Sinopec.
The company’s operations are mainly concentrated on the Iroko and Mokoko Abana blocks. Announced cumulative investments on these assets amount to $528.73 million, equivalent to about CFA289.9 billion. The spending is aimed at sustaining output in a context marked by the natural decline of mature oil fields, which remains the main factor behind falling production in Cameroon.
Despite its weight in national output, Addax operates at lower daily production levels than Perenco. Addax is estimated to produce less than 20,000 barrels per day, while the Franco-British group reports production of 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, split evenly between oil and gas. “With production of 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, Perenco is currently the leading hydrocarbons operator in Cameroon,” the company said.
This operator landscape reflects a broader downward trend in national production for 2025. Finance Ministry data show that Cameroon’s crude oil output is expected to reach 19.8 million barrels in 2025, down from 21.3 million barrels in 2024, a decline of about 1.5 million barrels. Over the medium term, the outlook is more favorable. The ministry projects production to rise to 20.8 million barrels in 2026 and 22.1 million barrels in 2027, subject to the implementation of planned investment and development programs.
Amina Malloum