Africa Oil Week (AOW) (http://www.Africa-OilWeek.com) has curated an unmissable agenda for its 2023 programme, to be held in the heart of South Africa’s Cape Town from 9-13 October. Under the theme, “Maximising Africa's Natural Resources,” AOW brings together the continent’s leading energy stakeholders, from ministers and policymakers to innovative companies across the international oil and gas sector. AOW provides unrivalled opportunities throughout this five-day event for financiers and dealmakers to engage with some of the industry’s top names.
This year’s agenda features an incredible line-up of panel discussions, including securing financing for Africa’s upstream oil&gas sector, monetising gas for domestic socio-economic development, and leveraging world-class technology to build cost-efficiency and low-carbon operational models. Attendees can also look forward to thought-provoking country and regional spotlights on Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and the MSGBC Basin. Find the full AOW 2023 agenda here (https://apo-opa.info/3EQUSYV).
Key Panel Discussions
This year’s panel discussions will cover a variety of topics, ranging from the regionalisation of energy trade and infrastructure to accessing financing, adopting ESG standards, and exploring within new frontiers. Expert panellists will also delve into the gas sector, namely its monetisation potential for domestic industrialisation over the next decade, as well as the continent’s opportunity to fill the global gas supply gap by 2030.
Securing Global Energy Demand with Africa’s Resources
Moderator Ross Lubetkin (CEO, Welligence) is joined by Rahul Dhir (CEO, Tullow), Nina Koch (Senior Vice President, Equinor), Luca Vignati (Upstream Director, Eni) and Adegbite Falade (MD/CEO, Aradel Holdings Plc) to discuss how African countries can adapt to remain competitive, and position their upstream markets as the supply base of choice by 2050. This panel will examine the future of frontier oil and gas markets, how non-producing nations can attract investment into exploration, and the extent to which Africa’s carbon profile impacts investment decisions.
Driving Social Value for African Economies Through Local Content
This session highlights why collaboration between government and the private sector is essential to ensuring that Africa’s Oil and Gas can be a conduit for development and can deliver a legacy of prosperity and economic benefits to host countries. Speakers Kadijah Amoah (CEO, Pecan Energies Ghana Limited), Rob Sherwin (VP Corporate Relations, Europe&Sub-Saharan Africa, Shell), Toks Azeez (Managing Director East Africa, Baker Hughes), and Miguel Baptista (Managing Director – Angola, Central and East Africa, SLB) will discuss what an equitable local content policy looks like, and how to ensure that local markets and communities gain long term benefits from oil and gas investment.
Monetising Africa’s Gas in the Next 7 – 10 years
As valuable as gas is for Africa, its potential as a transition fuel is yet to be truly actualised. This discussion focuses on how African nations can build roadmaps for domestic gas monetisation, whilst balancing lucrative export revenues. Speakers include Roger Brown (CEO, Seplat Energy), Unni Fjaer (Vice President and Country Manager for Tanzania, Equinor), Eberechukwu Oji (CEO, ND-Western), Dele Kuti (Global Head, Energy and Infrastructure, Standard Bank Group), and Giorgio Vicini, Country Manager Mozambique and Managing Director of Eni Rovuma Basin), in a much-anticipated conversation moderated by Charles Nyirahuku (Chief Gas Officer, African Development Bank). They will consider how Africa can fast track investment into domestic and regional gas development to provide energy security across the continent, as well as what policy is required to make domestic monetisation a reality.
Sustainable Cross Border Value Creation
Energy trading, and cross-border pipelines in particular, is becoming more critical to drive intra-Africa energy trade, leading to more market opportunities for hydrocarbon resource producers on the continent. However, there is speculation that recent oil and gas production, consumption and export trends could undermine existing cross-border pipelines in Africa. Both public and private stakeholders are invited to share their experience and ambitions for the future of intra-Africa energy trade.
The discussion will welcome Mlandzabi Boyce (CEO of the Republic of Mozambique Pipeline Investments Company - ROMPCO), Mohamed Zine (Director at Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines - ONHYM), Paul Eardley-Taylor (Head of Southern Africa’s Oil&Gas Coverage, Standard Bank), and Neville Ephraim (General Manager, iGAS Operations).
The Energy Industry Value Proposition – Amplification of the ‘S’ in ESG’ session
Due to growing concerns about diversity and inclusion, oil&gas companies are refining business models to focus on value-driven initiatives, as data indicates a fast declining, ageing workforce, widening skills gap and imbalances in gender parity. Iman Hill (CEO, International Association of Oil&Gas Producers - IOGP) is joined by Ian Ayling (Chief Sales Officer, NOV), Chioma Afe (Director External Affairs&Sustainability, Seplat Energy), Ayotola Jagun, (Chief Compliance Officer and Company Secretary, Oando Plc), and Kike Fajemirokun (General Manager Human Resources&Admin, LEKOIL) to explore how companies are prioritising and aligning budgets to meet human capital requirements.
Striking a balance – ILX and Frontier Exploration
In this exploration-focused panel, Ross Compton of the EnerGeo Alliance is joined by William Ashby (Executive Vice President, Eastern Hemisphere, TGS), Nathan Oliver (Executive Vice President, Sales and Services, PGS) and Tom Hay (Vice President of Marketing, Shearwater) to discuss the pros and cons of both infrastructure led (ILX) and frontier exploration strategies. Panellists will discuss the geoscience and investment needs underpinning these two strategies, and the relative challenges in developing value in diverse markets where there are opportunities for both.
Country and Regional Spotlights
Attendees can look forward to thought-provoking country and regional spotlights, including Onshore Licence Round and Marginal Fields in Angola, Planning for Success in Namibia and New Policies and Investment Prospects in West Africa.
MSGBC Basin – Accelerating Growth Through Regional Partnerships
The MSGBC basin, encompassing the waters from Mauritania, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry, holds sizeable offshore oil and gas reserves. As the region nears commissioning of its biggest offshore oil and LNG projects yet and renews with exploration drilling in 2024, this panel brings together the top government officials from each country including H.E. Aissatou Sophie Gladima Siby (Minister of Petroleum&Energy, Republic of Senegal), Moustapha Béchir (Director General of Hydrocarbons, Ministry of Petroleum, Mines and Energy, Islamic Republic of Mauritania), H.E. Abdoulie Jobe (Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Republic of The Gambia), H.E. Dionisio Cabi (Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Republic of Guinea-Bissau), and Amadou Doumbouya (Director General, Société Nationale des Petroles (SONAP) Republic of Guinea).
Nigeria – A Renewed Hope for a High Energy Future
Africa’s biggest oil producer is in the middle of a complete overhaul of its energy sector following the adoption of the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021, the Electricity Act in 2023, and the recent removal of its multi-billion dollars gasoline subsidies. To grow output back to the 2 million barrels per day threshold and boost gas supply, Nigeria must now sanction long-delayed offshore projects while resolving its onshore security crisis. AOW 2023 gathers representatives from President Tinubu’s new administration with Rose C. Ndong (Executive Commissioner, Exploration and Acreage Management, NUPRC), Akinbambo Ibidapo-Obe (General Manager, Commercial, Oando Energy Resources) and Sops Ideriah (Group Managing Director, SLB West Africa) to discuss Nigeria’s future energy prospects.
Angola - Onshore Licence Round and Marginal Fields
During this session, Angola’s National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG) will showcase its next licensing round and highlight the potential across ten onshore blocks. Joined by national oil company Sonangol, the spotlight will also promote the latest opportunities across Angola’s oil&gas value-chain and promote investments and innovation in this booming and dynamic energy market.
Planning for Success in Namibia
The recent discovery of hydrocarbon prospects within Namibia’s Orange Basin has brought exciting investment opportunities, which could lead to considerable oil&gas revenue for this new energy hub. Speakers Maggy Shino (Commissioner for Energy, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Namibia), Dennis Zekveld (Country Chairman, Shell Namibia), Channa Kurukulasuriya (Country Manager for Namibia, Chevron) and senior representatives from national oil company Namcor, and PGS will discuss how we can learn from the past to ensure that these new discoveries provide economic benefits to the region.
Country Spotlight on Ghana – Heading Towards the Next Growth Cycle
While oil provides substantial revenue to Ghana, there is also an opportunity to grow the country’s gas market alongside it. We invite the government of Ghana and operators to discuss future drilling campaigns and their plans to unlock the potential of the country’s gas to serve regional and export demand. Speakers include Opoku-Ahweneeh Danquah (CEO, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation), Egbert Faibille Jnr (Managing Director, Ghana Petroleum Commission), and Wissam Al-Monthiry (Managing Director: Ghana, Tullow).
Country Spotlight on Côte d’Ivoire – Big Discoveries and Investment Prospects
After the commissioning of Baleine Phase 1 in August 2023, Côte d’Ivoire has the potential to become a major offshore oil&gas producer in Africa. This session will explore what’s next for the country and how policy is helping to draw investment into E&P, as well as the prerequisites required to implement a successful national gas strategy. Senior representatives from the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy and national oil company PETROCI are joined by Nicola Mavilla, Managing Director of Eni Côte d’Ivoire.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Oil Week.Media Contact:
Amie Sparrow
PR Manager
amie.sparrow@hyve.group
About Africa Oil Week:
Africa Oil Week is the meeting place of choice for the continent’s upstream oil and gas sector. Now entering its 29th year, the event brings together governments, national and international oil companies, independents, investors, the G&G community and service providers. Africa Oil Week takes place in the heart of Cape Town at the Cape Town International Convention Centre 2 (CTICC2) from 9-13 October 2023.
