HEAD OF STATE HIGHLIGHTS PETROLEUM LAW AND LOCAL CONTENT LAW REFORMS IN ATTRACTING INVESTMENT
Rio de Janeiro
The President of the Republic, Daniel Francisco Chapo, spoke as main speaker at the opening ceremony of the Forum Rio Oil, Gas and Energy (ROG.e 2026), in Rio de Janeiro, on 21 September today, at the invitation of the Brazilian Institute of Oil, Gas and Biofuels. Under the theme "From Discovery to Transformation: The Second Generation of the Energy History of Mozambique", the Head of State presented before investors, PETROBRAS leaders and representatives of Brazilian governments the country's vision of energy evolution for a sustainable future, at a time when fifty years of diplomatic relations between Mozambique and Brazil are marked.
The President recalled that Mozambique has natural gas resources of a global size, about 180 trillion cubic feet, of which 133 trillion are recoverable, with a power generation potential exceeding 196 GW, the largest in Africa. He warned, however, that "having natural resources is not synonymous with development": resources only become real wealth when they generate productive capacity, knowledge, robust businesses and employment, especially for youth and women.
This challenge forms the foundation of what the Head of State termed the second generation of Mozambique’s energy history. Following an initial stage defined by discoveries in Pande, Búzi, and Temane, as well as the launch of commercial production in 2004, the country now seeks to move further: to continue exploring while simultaneously driving industrialisation, attracting capital, developing Mozambican enterprises, and building local technical capacity. This phase encompasses major projects such as Coral Sul FLNG, Coral Norte, Mozambique LNG, and Rovuma LNG, with investments projected at around $50 billion.
To support this transformation, President Chapo highlighted the new Oil Law, passed in June, which sends "a clear and unequivocal message to the market": Mozambique wants investment and is committed to ensuring legal predictability, fiscal stability, regulatory transparency and legal protection for investors, preserving acquired rights and respect for contracts, assured the Head of State.
The Head of State also underlined the Local Content Act, approved as a "business development policy" rather than as a mere administrative obligation, aimed at creating Mozambican companies capable of providing goods and services, training technicians and engineers and ensuring effective technology transfer. "Local content, for us, does not mean closing the market," he said, appealing to more joint ventures, consortia and partnerships between Mozambican, Brazilian and other nationalities companies.
Addressing investors, financial institutions, and industry leaders gathered in Rio, President Chapo extended a direct invitation to closely monitor Mozambique’s new exploration frontier, which extends beyond the Rovuma Basin to include the Mozambique Basin, Angoche, the Zambezi Delta, and other onshore and offshore areas at various stages of exploratory maturity.
"Look at Mozambique in Africa (...) for Mozambique that we are building for the next few years and we want to build together," said the Head of State, reaffirming the country's readiness for a long-term strategic partnership with Brazil and the rest of the world within the second generation of its energy history.
It is worth noting that the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Petroleum Institute (INP), Nazário Bangalane, is among the featured panelists at the event, which runs through September 24.
Information: National Petroleum Institute (INP) | Headquarters: Rua dos Desportistas, Nº 259, Maputo, Mozambique Telephone: +258 21248300 | Email: comunicacao@inp.gov.mz Visit our networks: LinkedIn – Facebook
