West Africa is a strategic area for Chevron. Current production is at about 400 thousand barrels per day and expected to increase to about 500 thousand barrels per day in 2006 (Chevron equity share).

Chevron's activities in West Africa involve production and exploration in Nigeria, Angola, The Republic of Congo and Chad. Chevron is the operator of concessions that produce Escravos, Pennington, Bonny Light, Cabinda, Nemba, Kuito, and, Palanca crude oils. Chevron also has equity production from concessions operated by other companies that produce N'Kossa Blend. Crude oil from Chad is piped to Cameroon and exported as Doba Blend.

With the exception of Kuito and Doba Blend, these crude oils are mature, light, high quality raw materials suitable for the manufacture of high valued transportation fuels and specialty products. Kuito is a heavy crude oil. However, unlike most heavy crude oils from Latin America and the Middle East, Kuito is a mature crude oil. Its heaviness is caused by biodegradation resulting in the absence of a typical light naphtha fraction. Chevron's West African crude oils, including Kuito, are generally sweet and low in sulfur, nitrogen, and other heteroatoms.