Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA) (www.Orange.com) is firmly rooted in the regions it serves. It is driven by responsible and ethical corporate governance and is constantly innovating. It relies on reliable infrastructure that fosters the development of value-creating technologies and services. These technologies are being deployed with a low-carbon, maximum solar energy concept and are supported through annual investments of more than one billion euros.

The services designed and delivered by our 18,000 employees in 17 countries are the seeds of change that help strengthen social, digital, financial and energy inclusion far beyond our 149 million customers, empowering everyone to use them to confidently shape the future that’s right for them.

The millions of opportunities available to young people, women and entrepreneurs through our free initiatives for inclusion are also seeds of change. They include digital literacy, training in new jobs to reduce unemployment, and assistance in finding a job, starting or developing a startup or income-generating activity. This is reflected in the more than one million beneficiaries of the Orange Digital Center program, the 600,000 students in digital schools and the thousands of women supported by the Orange Foundation’s Digital Centers each year.

As a committed local player, OMEA promotes shared and sustainable development, making a significant contribution to national GDPs and paying particular attention to the needs of local communities and the preservation of the environment. Its 17 subsidiaries and their employees are actively involved in reforestation activities linked to local socio-economic development. They also help to improve living conditions and access to health services, sport and culture, thereby strengthening the resilience of the most vulnerable populations.

Orange Middle East and Africa and its employees are here and are determined to work with all stakeholders to achieve high-impact developments for the benefit of individuals, society and the planet. They invite us to join them and take action by exploring their #OrangeEngageforChange program and platform.

Jérôme Hénique, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, comments: “Seeds of Change reflects our long-term commitment to inclusive and sustainable development in Africa and the Middle East. I would like to thank all of our teams for their dedication and hard work, which has enabled us to achieve these great results.”

Asma Ennaifer, CSR, ODC and Communications Director, concludes: “The initiatives and projects presented in this report are the result of a collective effort and the unwavering determination of our employees. Their commitment has made a tangible and lasting difference in the lives of the communities we serve.”

To read OMEA’s 2023 CSR report click here: http://apo-opa.co/3LqyNDX

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Orange Middle East and Africa.

Press contacts:
Stella Fumey: stella.fumey@orange.com

About Orange Africa and Middle East:
Orange is present in 18 countries in Africa and the Middle East where it had over 149 million customers on December 31, 2023. With €7.1 billion in turnover in 2023, Orange MEA is the Group’s main growth region. Orange Money, with its money transfer and financial services offer is available in 17 countries and has 90 million customers. Orange, a multi-service operator, benchmark partner of the digital transformation, provides its expertise to support the development of new digital services in Africa and the Middle East.

Independent energy company Tullow Oil has plans to increase oil production at active fields in Ghana and Gabon in 2024 and is preparing to conduct exploratory drilling in Ivory Coast in 2025. Committed to developing oil and gas in Africa in a responsible manner, the company’s asset portfolio across the continent not only contributes to fuel security but creates economic opportunities for host communities. Tullow Oil’s CEO’s Rahul Dhir will speak at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy conference – Africa’s largest energy event taking place from November 4-8 in Cape Town.

Operational excellence, capital efficiency and business growth are at the core of the company’s operations, with its focus on maximizing output at producing fields and assessing new development opportunities set to support economic growth in the countries in which Tullow Oil operates. During AEW: Invest in African Energy 2024, Dhir is expected to share insight into the company’s project portfolio while outlining strategies being implemented to maximize output through innovative drilling. 

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.

Tullow Oil has an active presence across several markets in Africa and has been operating on the continent since 1986. In Ghana, the company was responsible for play-opening discoveries in the Gulf of Guinea’s Tano Basin and continues to deliver commercial success through the start of production at additional wells. In 2023, the company completed the Jubilee South East project at the Jubilee prospect, bringing production up to 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) at the project. Tullow Oil plans to maintain this output over the next few years through an ongoing infill drilling program. Over the last three years, $1 billion has been invested into the Jubilee South East project, enabling previously undeveloped reserves to be brought into production. In 2024, five new wells – three production and two water injector – are expected to come online. Tullow’s second deepwater development in Ghana is the TEN field, which start production in 2016.  

In Gabon, Tullow Oil is leading infrastructure-led exploration, and in 2023, extended its Gabonese licenses to 2046. Considered a central part of the company’s production portfolio, Gabon represents one of Tullow Oil’s high-return production assets. In 2024, the company’s strategy includes pivoting towards infill drilling to sustain production. Tullow Oil also expects to drill two infrastructure-led exploration wells at the Simba license this year. Beyond 2024, Tullow Oil is committed to positioning its Tchatamba facilities in Gabon – a complex comprising the Tchatamba Marin, Tchatamba South and Tchatamba West fields and 19 development wells – as a core hub.  

Meanwhile, Tullow Oil is currently maturing the prospect inventory ahead of a drill candidate selection for an exploration well in Ivory Coast in 2025. In the country, the company holds stakes in low-risk investment projects with potential for fast commercialization, high returns and rapid payback. In 2023, production in Ivory Coast contributed to 1,000 bpd to the company’s non-operated portfolio. In addition to Ivory Coast, Tullow Oil is developing the South Lokichar Basin in Kenya. Following withdrawal from minority partners in 2023, Tullow Oil resumed a 100% stake in Blocks 10BB, 13T and 10BA in the basin. As a low-cost development project, the basin continues to be developed gradually with first production targeted for 2028. A Field Development Plan has been submitted and is under review by government.

In addition to exploration and production endeavors, Tullow Oil is moving ahead with environmental projects under efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The company signed an Emissions Reduction Purchase Agreement with Ghana’s Forestry Commission in May 2024. The agreement would see Tullow Oil invest up to $90 million over a period of ten years in forestry in line with Tullow’s 2030 Net Zero target for Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Aimed at addressing deforestation and promoting sustainable land use, the agreement will generate up to one million tons of carbon offset credits per year from two million hectares of land across the Bono and Bono East regions of Ghana.

“Tullow Oil is not only making great strides towards maximizing production at active fields but is spearheading efforts to reduce emissions and foster economic growth. With sustainability at the forefront, the company is unlocking value from both discovered reserves and potential finds. These efforts are bound to translate into tangible opportunities for local communities, showcasing the value of oil and gas in Africa,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

In a milestone transaction, Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica) has divested a 20% working interest in Petroleum Exploration License 73 onshore Namibia to Oslo-listed oil and gas player BW Energy. The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (www.EnergyChamber.org) – as the voice of the African energy sector – supports this new joint venture structure which promises to accelerate exploration activities in Namibia and mobilize working capital, with a total potential consideration of $141 million.

ReconAfrica is currently driving exploration of the onshore Kavango Basin, where it recently spud the Naingopo-1 well targeting the Damara Fold Belt and plans to drill a multi-well exploration program and acquire a 3D seismic program in the Kavango Rift Basin. The company has conducted extensive data and insights into the working petroleum system of the Kavango Basin to help de-risk exploration and identify future drilling targets. As a result of the transaction, BW Energy will participate in two Damara Fold Belt exploration wells and the 3D seismic program, with the option to participate in two Rift Basin exploration wells over a two-year period. ReconAfrica will retain a 70% working interest in the license, ensuring significant upside for the company if a discovery is made.

The deal leverages BW Energy’s existing expertise in oil and gas monetization in emerging and mature markets. The company is already active in Namibia through an operated stake in the 1.3-trillion-cubic-feet Kudu gas field in the Orange Basin and associated Kudu gas-to-power project, which is currently in its FEED stage and anticipates FID in 2025. The project is set to transform Namibia’s energy matrix through the delivery of 800 MW of gas-fired power for domestic use and regional export. BW Energy also operates the Dussafu Marine license offshore Gabon, home to the Hibiscus and Ruche Field Development set to reach 40,000 barrels per day following the completion of all wells.

The Chamber commends BW Energy for expanding its footprint in exploration hotspots like Namibia and betting on Africa’s upstream landscape. The agreement – which includes a $16 million equity investment in ReconAfrica and an additional $45 million in carry payments based on FID – is set to accelerate onshore exploration activities and is the latest in a series of transactions affirming global interest in Namibia’s oil and gas resources. With BW Energy to start drilling at the Kudu gas project in early-2025 – coupled with recent discoveries by Shell, TotalEnergies and Galp in the offshore Orange Basin – Namibia is preparing to witness another wave of investment from global explorers.

“ReconAfrica and BW Energy are working together to unlock Africa’s untapped onshore resources, combining financial resources and technical expertise to drive high impact exploration programs. The Chamber supports this strategic deal, which solidifies Namibia as an investor-friendly destination and is a major step forward for the African upstream industry at-large,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Gabon has set an ambitious target to increase production to 220,000 barrels per day (bpd). The country is promoting investment in on- and offshore acreage while creating opportunities for marginal field development to achieve this goal. With over two billion barrels of proven oil reserves, the country is committed to monetizing undeveloped hydrocarbons to support long-term and sustainable economic growth.

As the national oil company (NOC), Gabon Oil Company (GOC) strives to spearhead production growth while collaborating with international players to mitigate natural declines and optimize mature fields. GOC’s General Director Marcellin Ngabi will speak at the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy conference – scheduled for November 4-8 in Cape Town – about strategies for maximizing oilfield development. During the event, Ngabi is also expected to outline attractive investment opportunities in the country’s oil and gas sector while engaging with a suite of regional and global players.

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 https://www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

While Gabon is one of Africa’s most historic oil producers, natural declines in mature fields have seen production fall in recent years. As such, the country is revitalizing its hydrocarbon industry by implementing attractive fiscal and contractual policies, incentivizing exploration and deploying innovative technologies to enhance oil recovery. At the helm of this is the GOC, which has been acquiring assets to drive production growth across the country. In February 2023, the NOC acquired the Gabonese assets of private equity firm Carlyle – the owner of oil and gas company Assala Energy. The deal includes seven onshore production licenses, a pipeline network and the Gamba export terminal. Assala Energy represents the second biggest producer in the country and focuses on brownfield assets.

The deal comes amid a string of upstream developments in the country, all of which the GOC has interests in. In November 2023, oil and gas company BW Energy made a commercial discovery at its Hibiscus South satellite prospect offshore Gabon. The discovery was estimated to contain approximately 16 million barrels of oil in place. In March 2024, the company announced that production had officially commenced – averaging between 5,000 and 6,000 bpd -, merely five months since the discovery was made. This fast-tracked approach aligns with national objectives to bring new projects online and fast. Concurrently, the company increased production at the Dussafu Marin Permit after completing four production wells in 2023. Each well produces an average of 6,000 to 6,500 bpd.

Meanwhile, independent oil and gas Perenco began appraisal drilling near its Hylia South West discovery in February 2024. The company targets additional reservoirs and to establish estimated oil volumes in place – estimated between 20 and 100 million barrels. Independent energy company VAALCO Energy is purusing near-field development at the Etame Marin Offshore Fields Development while energy major TotalEnergies is investing in well intervention after signing a 25-year contract for the Baudroie-Mérou Marine G5-143 permit. As such, across the country, focus has shifted towards optimizing mature and marginal assets while leveraging innovative technology to ensure every drop is recovered.

Beyond existing fields, companies are ramping up exploration. Chinese firm CNOOC began wildcat drilling at Blocks BC-9 and BCD-10 in 2023. The company is looking at deploying an FLNG vessel following the discovery of sufficient oil and gas volumes. To support production growth, further exploration is required and the GOC is committed to supporting projects in this area.

In addition to oil developments, the GOC is driving natural gas monetization in the country, leveraging the Gas Master Plan to support project development. Gabon aims to rapidly expand the domestic gas industry by developing the estimated three to five trillion cubic feet of reserves to support economic growth and energy access. Priority areas include LPG, LNG and CNG solutions, gas-to-power and associated downstream industries. The Gas Master Plan aims to reduce flaring, develop domestic industries and support a transition to alternative sources of fuel. Ongoing projects include Perenco’s $1 billion Cap Lopez LNG terminal, set to come online in 2026. The project will produce 70,000 tons of LNG per annum and 25,000 tons of LPG. Additionally, the company’s LPG plant in Batanga – which came online in December 2023 – produces 15,000 tons of LPG per annum.

“Gabon is making great strides towards monetizing resources at both mature and emerging assets. The GOC has been at the forefront of this. By prioritizing near-field development and supporting exploration campaigns offshore, the country is well on track to increase production. At the same time, efforts to strengthen the domestic gas economy is already bearing fruit as LNG and LPG projects gain momentum. This fast-tracked, multi-faceted approach to oil and gas development is a model that should be replicated continent-wide,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.