CGIP Energy, a privately-owned Canadian company founded in 2021, is advancing plans to achieve first oil in 2025 from legacy discoveries in Chad's Doba basin and to launch a major exploration campaign in the frontier Block H. This activity presents a positive counter-narrative to recent high-profile disputes involving other international oil companies in the country.

Current Operations in the Doba Basin (Doc-Dod Block)

CGIP entered Chad in 2022 by acquiring Delonex Energy, gaining access to the Doc-Dod block. Operations began in May 2025, focusing on rehabilitating a camp and reactivating wells in the Belanga and Lara fields. Four of twelve wells have been reactivated, with flow tests showing production up to 1,700 barrels per day (bpd). The immediate goal is to start trucking oil—initially around 1,000 bpd—along a 167-km route to a third-party operator for injection into the Chad-Cameroon pipeline. The company is finalizing government approvals for this unprecedented trucking operation, aiming to begin by the end of the first quarter of 2025 and ramp up to a target of 5,000 bpd by the end of 2026. The Doc-Dod block is estimated to hold 12.5 million barrels of contingent and 47 million barrels of prospective recoverable resources.

Exploration Plans for Block H (Termit Basin)

Block H, adjacent to Chad's border with Niger, is a highly promising asset with a resource potential exceeding 1 billion barrels. Previous operators drilled 16 wells, making 11 Tertiary-age oil discoveries. CGIP's initial focus is a six-well campaign, starting with delineation wells on existing discoveries like the 40-50 million-barrel Kanem find. These wells will also target deeper Cretaceous objectives, which could hold up to 500 million barrels of oil. Each well is estimated to cost $8-15 million. The company is in talks with rig owners and potential farm-in partners to fund the program, which could also be self-funded by revenues from Doc-Dod. A successful four-well program could deliver about 450 million barrels, potentially justifying a 110,000 bpd export pipeline, though initial production is targeted at 10,000 bpd.

Security and Government Relations

CGIP reports a cooperative relationship with the Chadian government. To address security concerns in Block H related to regional extremist groups, the company works with a dedicated government military division (DSPIP) assigned to protect oil and gas assets. CGIP pays for this service and also employs a risk advisor to monitor threats.

Industry Context and Opportunities in Chad

Despite ExxonMobil and Petronas exiting in 2022 and a public dispute with Savannah Energy, production in Chad continues from other companies like CNPC, OPIC, Perenco, and SHT, with current output at about 138,000 bpd. CGIP's potential entry as an exporter would make it the fifth company. The company notes that Chad's basin is not mature, with several undeveloped discoveries near existing infrastructure, indicating further opportunities beyond its current projects.