Upstream activities in Equatorial Guinea have been at something of a standstill in recent years with mixed results on development projects and little exploration under way, writes Iain Esau.

Production from mature fields — ExxonMobil’s Zafiro, Marathon Oil’s Alba. plus Kosmos Energy’s Ceiba and Oveng-Okume — continues, augmented by output from Noble Energy’s Aseng and Alen fields.

However, oil output is currently running at 120,000 barrels per day, far less than the peak of 300,000 bpd some years ago, leading to government threats aimed at companies to explore and develop or risk having their acreage withdrawn.