Gabon Oil: Production, Reserves & Role in the Market
Gabon produces about 0.24 million barrels of crude per day (2025). Gabon was an OPEC member from 1975 to 1995, left for two decades, and rejoined in July 2016 — output has fallen by more than half from its 1997 peak as the country's mature offshore fields decline.
Key Figures
| Measure | Value | As of / source |
|---|---|---|
| Crude production | 0.24 Mb/d | 2025 · EIA |
| OPEC history | Member 1975–1995; rejoined July 2016 | OPEC, Oxford Business Group |
| Peak production | About 370,000 b/d in 1997 | Oxford Business Group |
| State participation | Under the current oil code, the government takes a minimum 20% stake in projects and state-owned Gabon Oil Company a further 15% | Gabon Oil Company |
Rankings and comparisons: world production & consumption · reserves by country · OPEC production · biggest oil companies.
A Mature Producer Rejoining OPEC
Why it left and came back
- Gabon terminated its OPEC membership in January 1995, largely over the cost of membership fees relative to its shrinking output.
- It rejoined in July 2016, seeking closer coordination with other producers during a period of low prices and hoping for technical and investment support from larger members.
A declining, offshore-heavy producer
- Gabon's fields are predominantly offshore and mature, and output has fallen from a 1997 peak of about 370,000 b/d to roughly a third of that level.
- Gabon Oil Company, the state producer, holds minority stakes in most projects rather than operating the largest fields itself; its own upstream production started only in 2016 with the small Mboumba field.
Position Within OPEC
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Rank among OPEC members (crude output) | #10 of 11 |
| Crude production, 2025 | 0.24 Mb/d |
| Share of OPEC output (26.2 Mb/d) | 0.9% |
| Next larger member | Congo (0.24 Mb/d) |
| Next smaller member | Equatorial Guinea (0.08 Mb/d) |
EIA annual crude production for current OPEC members. See OPEC production, OPEC vs non-OPEC and the next OPEC+ meeting.
Gabon Oil FAQ
How much oil does Gabon produce?
Gabon produces about 0.24 million barrels per day of crude oil (including lease condensate, 2025). Source: EIA international statistics.
Why did Gabon leave and then rejoin OPEC?
Gabon left OPEC in January 1995, largely because membership fees were seen as too costly relative to its small and shrinking output. It rejoined in July 2016 amid a period of low oil prices, seeking closer coordination with other producers and technical support from larger OPEC members.
Is Gabon's oil output rising or falling?
Falling over the long run. Production peaked around 370,000 barrels a day in 1997 and has declined substantially since, as the country's largely offshore, mature fields deplete faster than new projects can replace them.
How big is Gabon within OPEC?
Gabon is #10 of the 11 OPEC members tracked here, producing about 0.24 million barrels a day of crude in 2025, or 0.9% of the group's 26.2 million b/d. The next larger producer is Congo (0.24 Mb/d).