Speaking during a fireside chat at the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2026 Conference and Exhibition, Deffontaines pointed to Dalia as an example of how Angola’s fiscal and regulatory reforms are encouraging additional investment in mature producing assets.

“Dalia is a champion in Angola and our biggest FPSO, which celebrated 20 years [of operations] in 2026,” he said. “We recently secured, through a new framework with the ANPG, the next 20 years of the project. This framework could unlock 400 million barrels.”

The Dalia development is part of Block 17, where production rights for the development areas, including Dalia, have been extended to December 2045. Angola’s incremental-production regime, introduced in 2024, provides fiscal incentives for additional production from mature offshore blocks and undeveloped areas, including increased cost recovery under certain conditions.

TotalEnergies also signed a new Risk Service Contract with the ANPG and the Block 17 contractor group, including ExxonMobil and Sonangol, at AOG 2026. The agreement forms part of a wider package of deals announced by TotalEnergies during the conference, covering exploration, Block 32 and emissions reduction.

“We signed four contracts yesterday, two concerning exploration permits, one concerning extension for Block 32 and the last one is a cooperation agreement concerning reduction of emissions,” Deffontaines said.

The company’s latest activity in Block 17 also includes the Acacia-5 discovery, announced this week. TotalEnergies said the well will be fast-tracked to production using available capacity on the Pazflor FPSO, with first oil expected within three months and production expected to increase Block 17 output by around 6,000 barrels per day.

Deffontaines attributed TotalEnergies’ willingness to continue deploying capital in Angola to greater fiscal predictability and measures designed to encourage investment in existing producing assets.

“There is a new decree for incremental production, and the fiscal stability that we receive is giving us confidence,” he said. “The framework built by the government and ANPG is giving us trust.”

TotalEnergies has operated in Angola for seven decades and currently operates six FPSOs in the country, with a seventh under development. Deffontaines said the company intends to build on that position through continued exploration and investment in producing assets.

“We are committed to still be here in Angola for the long-term,” he said.