Article by Business Express
The upcoming African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy conference – Africa’s premier event for the energy sector, taking place this November in Cape Town – will host a series of country-specific spotlights, showcasing investment opportunities across Africa’s leading energy markets including Namibia.
Spotlight sessions will highlight projects seeking investment, licensing rounds, planned drilling campaigns and other opportunities for private sector participation.
In Namibia, a series of offshore oil discoveries – including Shell’s Enigma-1X, Graff-1X, La Rona, Jonker-1X and Lesedi-1X; Galp’s Mopane-1X and Mopane-2X; and TotalEnergies’ Venus-1X and Mangetti-1X – have positioned the country as a global exploration hotspot.
New exploration licenses for on and offshore blocks awarded as part of the country’s latest open-door licensing system present further opportunities for both major and independent explorers.
Namibia also ranks as one of Africa’s top green hydrogen markets – home to Hyphen Hydrogen nergy’s $10 billion Tsau-Khaeb development – with the Invest in Namibia Energies session set to showcase the country’s diversified energy agenda.
Invest in Nigeria Energies will present lucrative opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and gas market, which has seen several key developments in recent months. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission recently launched its 2024 licensing round, featuring 12 blocks on offer. Majors like Shell have announced plans to invest $1 billion in Nigerian gas projects over the next decade, while Chevron has launched a $1.4 billion infill drilling program.
In the gas sector, Nigeria is aiming to produce 5.5 billion cubic feet per day by 2030 and enhance energy security by exploiting its 200 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, on the back of the country’s flagship Decade of Gas initiative.
The Invest in MSGBC Energies spotlight will delve into the MSGBC region’s energy boom, highlighting first gas production from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG project in Senegal and Mauritania, as well as first oil production at Senegal’s Sangomar Oil Development. Upcoming projects like the Yakaar-Teranga Hub in Senegal and the Orca and Banda gas fields in Mauritania continue regional industry expansion, while frontier exploration in The Gambia, Guinea-Conakry and Guinea-Bissau points to new oil and gas prospects.
In the renewable energy space, Mauritania is also piloting green hydrogen with Chariot’s 10 GW Project Nour, CWP Global’s Aman and AMEA Power’s green hydrogen facilities.
Invest in the Republic of Congo Energies will explore the Congo’s ongoing efforts to maximize its oil production through historic levels of upstream investment. TotalEnergies has announced a $600-million plan to increase production at the Moho Nord field by 40,000 barrels per day in the next three years.
Meanwhile, the Republic of Congo is spearheading gas exploration and monetization through a new Gas Master Plan and gas code, supported by Eni’s Congo LNG project – set to transform the country into a major LNG exporter – and Wing Wah’s Banga Kayo project, further enhancing the country’s gas market prospects.
The Invest in Algeria Energies session will showcase Algeria’s efforts to boost its gas reserves, production and exports to Europe, while establishing itself as a leading green hydrogen market. Last April, Algerian NOC Sonatrach signed an agreement with TotalEnergies to develop gas resources in the North-East Timimoun region, while the country is expanding its TFTII oil and gas pipeline to increase gas exports to Europe.
Algeria is also evaluating prospects to develop and export green hydrogen to Europe through cooperation with private and public sector entities from Chile and Germany.
As one of Africa’s largest oil producers, Angola is undertaking a series of projects to maintain oil production above 1.1 million bpd through 2027. International energy firm Azule Energy is progressing in the expansion of its Ndungu oil field with the award of an $850-million energy services contract to Saipem last month.
The launch of Angola’s 2025 limited public tender, featuring up to 10 offshore blocks in the Kwanza and Benguela basins, also remains highly anticipated. In the downstream sector, NOC Sonangol is expanding the country’s refinery capacity with various new refineries underway in Soyo, Lobito and Cabinda.
The Invest in Angola Energies session functions as a platform to connect global investors with Angola’s untapped oil and gas opportunities.
In Equatorial Guinea, NOC GEPetrol recently initiated several E&P partnerships to unlock new opportunities within the country’s upstream sector, including a $350-million contract with energy services firm Petrofac and a deal with Panoro Energy concluding the terms for offshore Block EG-23.
A drilling campaign has been launched by Trident Energy in the Ceiba and Okume fields in Block G since last November and has the potential to unlock additional hydrocarbon production, which will be unpacked at Invest in Equatorial Guinea Energies.
Libya’s National Oil Company plans to launch a licensing round by early-2025 as part of its strategy to boost oil production to 2 million bpd.
The country has already increased production by 5.4% as of March 2024, surpassing Nigeria as Africa’s largest crude oil producer. A series of recent exploration agreements with international players including Sonatrach, Eni, bp, Equinor, Oil India and Repsol have restored confidence and catalyzed new activity within the gas and oil sector, with Invest in Libya Energies set to connect investors with emerging prospects.
In Mozambique, the launch of the country’s seventh licensing round in 2025 – alongside major projects such as TotalEnergies’ $10-billion Mozambique LNG facility, ExxonMobil’s Rovuma LNG facility and the expansion of Eni’s Coral South projects – present new opportunities for partnership and investment, to be explored at the Invest in Mozambique Energies spotlight.
The award of six exploration blocks in the Angoche and Mozambique basins to China’s CNOOC and a consortium of Eni and Mozambican national oil company ENH – as part of the sixth licensing round in 2023 – highlights growing interest by international firms in the country’s oil and gas prospects.
Lastly, Ghana is undertaking over 17 new oil and gas projects through 2027, aiming for universal energy access by 2030 on the back of expanded hydrocarbon production.
Invest in Ghana Energies represents the premier platform for investors to access opportunities within one of Africa’s most mature markets. Key projects include Aker Energy’s Pecan Phase 1A, Ghana National Gas Company’s Atuabo II Gas Processing Plant, Helios Investment’s Tema Floating LNG Plant and the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company’s Tema-Akosombo II Pipeline.
Attracting new investors, partners and technologies is crucial for Africa to maximize the development and exploitation of its energy resources.
“The country spotlights at AEW 2024 will connect Africa’s most dynamic markets with global investors, developers and decision-makers and foster strategic collaborations to drive the continent’s energy growth,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.
