Angola has up to 29 block opportunities available for investment covering onshore, offshore and marginal fields. Targeting heightened foreign investment, these opportunities are already attracting the interest of global players. Concurrently, the government is making strides to expand the downstream industry to support growing demand in regional markets. A Leadership Roundtable program during this year’s Angola Oil&Gas (AOG) conference (October 2-3) will connect companies to Angolan opportunities while delving into collaborative efforts between Angola and global partners.

As the second largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa and an emerging natural gas hub, Angola is seeing rising interest by international players seeking new opportunities in oil and gas. Efforts to diversify supply chains in markets such as Europe are leading to new export deals for Angola while European-based companies expand their presence across the country’s oil and gas basins. Meanwhile, still ripe with frontier opportunities, Angola stands to gain a lot of insight from deepwater players such as Guyana, Brazil and the Netherlands as well as natural gas giants such as the UAE, Australia and Algeria. A panel discussion on Synergies through Collaboration: International Ventures in Angola’s Oil Sector will dive into Angola-global partnerships.

AOG is the largest oil and gas event in Angola. Taking place with the full support of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas; national oil company Sonangol; the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency; the African Energy Chamber; and the Petroleum Derivatives Regulatory Institute, the event is a platform to sign deals and advance Angola’s oil and gas industry. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Angola is boosting energy security by developing three new refineries, increasing capacity to 400,000 bpd. The Cabinda Refinery will be commissioned by November 2024, followed by the Lobito Refinery and Soyo Refinery in 2025. A $5 billion pipeline will connect Lobito to Lusaka, Zambia, and investments in LPG and CNG infrastructure are being promoted. AOG 2024’s panel discussion, “From Crude to Commerce” will explore Angola’s downstream opportunities.

Angola’s National Oil, Gas&Biofuels Agency is implementing 12 key measures to boost local participation in the oil and gas industry. As part of this initiative, the agency will continue to facilitate market access for local service companies, fostering greater inclusivity and growth in the sector. The agency is also looking at creating a fund to support local content and the participation of Angolan service providers across the value chain. With a $60 billion investment pipeline planned for Angolan’s oil and gas sector over the next five years, the demand for local service providers is expected to grow, and during AOG 2024, a panel discussion will explore strategies for supporting market access and financing for local players. Titled A Seat at the Table: Access to Finance for Angolan Service Companies, the session is sponsored by insurance company Protteja Seguros.

Meanwhile, Angola plans to complete the privatization of its national oil company (NOC) Sonangol by 2026. Privatization aims to transform the company into a competitive operator while strengthening its capacity as an upstream partner. With Angola set to maintain oil production at 1.1 million bpd until 2027 while unlocking new discoveries in deepwater, onshore and marginal fields, Sonangol is poised to play a more active role in upstream projects. A session titled The Role of the NOC in Unlocking Upstream Potential will explore how Sonangol’s transformation will support project development and partnerships in upstream oil and gas.  

AOG 2024 features a multi-track program that offers a comprehensive overview of the country’s oil and gas value chain. For more information on panel discussions, speakers and topics, visit www.AngolaOilandGas.com. Download the AOG 2024 program here (https://apo-opa.co/467grBj).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

The Francophone British Business Council (FBBC) has partnered with the upcoming MSGBC Oil, Gas&Power conference and exhibition – scheduled for December 3-4 in Dakar – highlighting energy sector opportunities for British investors and businesses in West Africa.

The FBBC promotes trade between the UK and Francophone countries, including West African nations such as Senegal, Niger, Togo, Guinea-Conakry and Ivory Coast. The organization enables access by British companies to new markets seeking partnership and investment, offering bilateral networking events and trade missions and facilitating connections with governments and commercial entities in Francophone nations. The FBBC focuses on key economic sectors including energy, security, agriculture, logistics, education and healthcare, promoting UK-based expertise to meet demand in these countries.

To explore opportunities, foster partnerships, and stay at the forefront of the MSGBC region’s oil, gas, and power sector, visit www.MSGBCOilGasandPower.com to secure your participation in the MSGBC Oil, Gas&Power 2024 conference. For sponsorship or participation as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

UK companies are already spearheading frontier energy developments in the MSGBC region. British multinational Shell is currently targeting a new geological oil play offshore Mauritania, while bp, in partnership with Kosmos Energy, is leading development of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG project, located offshore Senegal and Mauritania and expected to produce first gas by the end of 2024.

The region’s largely untapped hydrocarbon resources present highly prospective opportunities for UK companies operating in the energy, mining and power sectors. In addition to exploration and production activities, countries like Senegal – which forecasts rapid GDP growth of more than 10% in 2025 – feature rising demand for associated infrastructure, construction, transport and logistics development. The partnership with the FBBC aims to forge new economic ties between MSGBC countries and UK partners, strengthening trade relations across the region.

“This partnership is a testament to the growing strategic relationship between the UK and MSGBC countries, as well as an opportunity for British companies to explore new partnership and investment opportunities across the region. Many planned projects require additional capital to be carried out, and the FBBC can help connect local stakeholders and project developers with British pools of finance,” states Sandra Jeque, Event&Project Manager at Energy Capital&Power.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

Twelve Somalia Civil Aviation Authorities, Airport Fire Rescue personnel from South West State have successfully completed a Airport Fire and Rescue course conducted by the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) Aviation Services to enhance Somalia’s safety aviation sector.

The course held in Baidoa – the administrative capital of South West State – is a continuation to a two-month firefighting training held earlier in Mogadishu. It is part of UNSOS’s ongoing efforts to build local capacity to ensure services at the Shaati Gaduud International Airport in Baidoa meet international standards.

“This team has already received a comprehensive eight-week training in the first-ever fire rescue firefighting course worldwide, which has fully prepared them to handle and provide the necessary aviation support in airports,” said UNSOS Fire Marshall and lead instructor, Kijjali Robert William.

“We’ve taught them how to respond to emergency aviation incidents within the required 2-3 minutes, the internationally required standard. Effective communication is crucial in these operations, and we’ve ensured they are well-equipped in this area as well,” added Kijjali, Chief Airfield Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Services for ATMIS and UNSOS during the closing ceremony at the Baidoa ARFF facility.

The training covered essential areas including firefighting and extinguishing techniques, fire dynamics, first aid, vehicle and vessel equipment handling, airfield layout and aircraft construction, emergency communication, and physical fitness.

UNSOS Chief Air Operations in Baidoa, Mohamed Shamim, highlighted the critical role played by the UN body in providing the necessary aviation equipment and firefighting support for flight operations at the airport. He said this obligation would soon be transferred to the local administration.

“Once employed by Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority, we expect the trainees to work closely with UNSOS and eventually takeover firefighting responsibilities,” said Shamim.

Abdisalam Abdiqadir Abdinoor, one of the trainees, expressed gratitude to UNSOS and acknowledged the importance of the course in developing local capacity.

“We’ve learned so much during the training. The community highly appreciates the program and I am happy to be one of the beneficiaries. I can now serve my community with the skills acquired,” noted Abdisalam.

The South West State Minister of Transport and Aviation, Hassan Abdinoor Adan, thanked UNSOS for conducting the course, emphasizing its importance in ensuring the skills learned from the previous training are retained.

He commended the trainees for their motivation to acquire new skills to help boost Somalia’s aviation industry.

Apart from training local aviation personnel, UNSOS also plays a vital role in managing the Baidoa airfield, repairing and maintaining the runway and taxiway, providing air traffic support, equipment and manpower, as well as ensuring aviation security and maintaining the airfield.

Currently, UNSOS is undertaking a project to install a 7km security fence at the Shaati Gaduud International Airport in Baidoa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS).

A strong slate of high-impact wells is expected to be drilled in Africa in 2024 and 2025, 70% of which will be in frontier and emerging basins. Africa dominates global high-impact well drilling this year, with 13 of the 36 anticipated wells set to be drilled across the continent. Representing one of the final frontiers for oil and gas exploration, a number of countries are also progressing with seismic data acquisition, with geological campaigns aimed at supporting new investment in undeveloped basins.

Amid this rise in exploratory drilling, companies such as management and consulting firm Unite Oil&Gas International Consulting (UOGI) offer expert-driven solutions for reservoir management, geosciences, engineering and field development. Yachtze Luchin, CEO and President at UOGI, will deliver a technical presentation during the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy conference – taking place November 4-8 in Cape Town. The event unites companies from across the global and African energy sector, fostering partnerships and driving deal-signing.

AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

As an international consulting firm, UOGI supports companies ranging from IOCs to independents to start-ups by providing support in project execution, field operations, reservoir management, engineering, corporate strategy and more. With a mission to become a beacon of innovation and expertise in the global energy landscape, UOGI supports clients in navigating the complexities of the oil and gas industry. These solutions will not only support exploration projects and field development across the continent but drive operational efficiency in both mature and emerging markets.

UOGI’s goal is to support production growth in African oil and gas projects. In May 2024, the company partnered with the Republic of the Congo’s national oil company Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) to optimize and production and develop fields across the country. UOGI will provide technical assistance services for the development of the Kouakouala field while supporting exploration, evaluation and development at the Nanga I and Mayombe fields.

Meanwhile, to support corporate decision making across companies active in the oil and gas industry, UOGI partnered with decision support services company Decision Frameworks in May 2024 to bring greater access to best-in-class decision making services and software across sub-Saharan Africa. The partnership integrates UOGI’s E-4 Process with Decision Frameworks Decision Quality Platform, supporting development and alignment across the project lifecycle.

Beyond these partnerships, UOGI offers a diverse range of services. The company offers a comprehensive suite of engineering services, all of which are designed to optimize asset performance, enhance operational efficiency and mitigate risk throughout the project lifecycle. Services include drilling, fracking stimulation, concept selection, FEED, procurement management, wells and abandonment services, and much more. Additionally, the company’s geoscience expertise spans the entire exploration and production lifecycle. Services include wildcat exploration, appraisal and geologic planning, regional geologic interpretations, subsurface mapping and more. For African countries, this expertise will be integral as companies pursue new discoveries, the fast-tracked development of fields and the maximization of producing assets.

“To make energy poverty history by 2030, Africa needs to significantly increase investment in exploration and field development. There is a wealth of opportunities available to not only unlock new finds in proven basins but maximize output at already-producing fields. Through its range of consulting and management services, UOGI aims to support exploration and production in Africa,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Luchin’s technical presentation during AEW: Invest in African Energy 2024 will advance the understanding of Africa’s exploration agenda. Insight will be provided into innovative solutions to fast-track field development, methods of improving reservoir management and opportunities for companies in diverse basins continent-wide. Additionally, Luchin will engage with a suite of companies and governments, all of whom will connect in Cape Town to sign deals.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.