Perenco and Cameroon’s state-owned Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures (SNH) are preparing to redirect gas that was previously used for LNG exports to the domestic market.
The move follows the planned departure of the Hilli Episeyo, Cameroon’s floating LNG vessel, which is leaving the country in July 2026 for a new 20-year charter in Argentina. Rather than stopping production from the offshore gas fields, Perenco and SNH plan to send the gas from the Sanaga South and Ebomé fields to the mainland.
The unprocessed gas will bypass the offshore LNG facility and move through a pipeline to the Bipaga Gas Processing Centre. The change could give Cameroon more gas for local use while also increasing the production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas.
The government wants more of the LPG to reach the domestic market, where cooking gas is subsidised. This could help reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel. The Bipaga Gas Processing Centre started operations in 2024. It already supplies natural gas to Keda Cameroon Ceramics Ltd, a manufacturing company.
Keda receives the gas through a dedicated pipeline under a 20-year gas sales agreement between Perenco and SNH. The factory can use up to 6 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.
The planned change means gas that was once connected to Cameroon’s LNG export business will now play a bigger role at home.
This could be important for the country because local industries need a reliable supply of gas to keep their factories running. More LPG production could also help Cameroon’s cooking gas market. If local supply increases, the country could reduce the amount of LPG it needs to bring in from outside.
The departure of the Hilli Episeyo therefore does not mean Cameroon’s offshore gas production has to stop. Instead, Perenco and SNH are changing where the gas goes.
The move also shows how countries can find new uses for natural gas when export plans change. Rather than leaving the gas fields idle, Cameroon is looking at ways to put the resource to work in its own economy. For Perenco and SNH, the next step will be making sure the gas can be moved and processed efficiently at Bipaga.
For Cameroon, the bigger goal is clear: use more of its own gas at home, support local industries and increase the supply of cooking gas to households.
