Vitol, Africa Oil Corp, ERHC to highlight growing global interest in African Oil, Gas opportunities  

Global energy companies including Vitol, Africa Oil Corp. and ERHC Energy Inc. will showcase Africa’s premier energy sector opportunities at the Invest in African Energy reception in London this week, organised by the African Energy Chamber. The reception serves to catalyse investor interest in Africa’s energy prospects ahead of the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy conference in Cape Town this November, showcasing the potential of the African energy market and exploring strategies to unlock its full potential. Kicking off discussions on the continent’s available upstream acreage, Marilyn Logan, Director General of the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority will showcase Liberia’s frontier exploration prospects during an opening keynote. Liberia is currently looking to attract major explorers to its prospective hydrocarbon resources, supported by extensive 2D and 3D multi-client seismic data in the Liberia and Harper basins and an ongoing direct negotiation process. Rene Awambeng, Managing Partner at advisory firm Premier Invest, will also deliver an opening keynote on Africa’s current investment climate and the role of strengthened fiscal and regulatory frameworks in unlocking global capital. 

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. Moderated by Susan D. Maples, Partner at international law firm Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle, a dynamic panel discussion will unite private sector players across the energy value chain, from frontier exploration to fuel refining and distribution. Oneyka Cindy Ojogbo, Partner at pan-African legal, tax and advisory firm CLG, will be the MC and will also deliver a keynote. Peter Ntephe, CEO of American oil and gas corporation ERHC Energy Inc., will discuss strategies for fostering sustainable growth through risk-balanced exploration, cost efficient development and high margin production. ERHC Energy holds interests in some of Africa’s most exciting oil and gas provinces, including Block 11A in Kenya, Block BDS 2008 in Chad, six blocks in the Joint Development Zone in the Gulf of Guinea and Block 4 in São Tomé & Príncipe.

Steve Bran, Head of LNG Operations at multinational energy and commodity trader Vitol, will weigh in on Africa’s LNG potential and Vitol’s role in advancing the refining, distribution and trade of refined petroleum products to local and regional markets. Last month, the company announced plans to invest more than $550 million in clean cooking technologies in Africa through 2030, including both LPG infrastructure and investment in new projects. Vitol also recently acquired South African energy group Engen, which will see the company assume control of more than 3,900 service stations and two billion liters of storage capacity across 27 African countries and inject R10 billion into its South African operations. Oliver Quinn, CCO of Canadian oil and gas company Africa Oil Corp., is set to discuss the company’s latest activities and role in driving African exploration and identifying low-cost, low-risk gas development opportunities. Last March, Africa Oil Corp. increased its stake in the Venus discovery in Namibia’s Orange basin, as well as secured PSCs last February for Equatorial Guinea’s Blocks EG-18 and EG-31 – the latter of which holds prospective gas resources and is located nearby existing existing infrastructure, including the onshore Punta Europa LNG terminal.