By Dipo Olowookere
Organisers of Africa’s premier oil industry event, Africa Oil Week, have announced speakers for the 2017 edition of the programme.
Among the speaker is Mr Simbi Kesiye Wabote, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Others are Jean-Marc Thystere-Tchicaya, Minister of Hydrocarbons for the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville; Thierry Tanoh, Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Development of Renewable Energies in Côte d’Ivoire; Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Minister of Mines, Industry and Energy in Republic of Equatorial Guinea; and Jerreh Barrow – Commissioner of Petroleum, Ministry of Petroleum & Energy for Government of The Gambia.
The Africa Oil Week draws over 1,250 senior stakeholders from the global upstream ecosystem for five days of content, thought leadership, networking and deal making.
Holding in Cape Town, South Africa, from the October 23-27, 2017, the event, now in its 24th year, will feature 160 speakers from the corporate and public sphere to share winning strategies and solutions being deployed to face the future of the upstream industry with confidence.
They will shed light on new opportunities as frontier and emerging markets and elaborate on the increased attractiveness achieved through strengthened fiscal and regulatory stability.
Côte d’Ivoire plans to double its oil and gas output by 2020 and is seeking to develop offshore reserves in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, while the Republic of Congo aims to increase daily production to 300,000 barrels from the current 250,000 barrels over the next two years.
This will put it close on the heels of Equatorial Guinea, the third-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa with oil reserves estimated at more than 1.1 billion barrels of crude.
The Gambia, whose eight blocks, six offshore and two onshore, of which most are unallocated, have generated a lot of interest since its change of government, will present its legal framework that gives it the right to award contracts via tender and direct talks.
Nigeria’s Simbi Wabote will clarify his organisation’s capacity-building objectives and how IOCs can leverage the Nigerian Content experiences of others when planning projects.
Delegates will glean invaluable industry insights and operating experience from leaders of top international operators on the continent, such as: France’s Guy Maurice – Senior VP, E&P Africa, Total E&P; Luca Bertelli – Chief Exploration Officer, Eni Spa, Italy; Jasper Peijs – Vice President Exploration, Africa, BP plc; Frank Pluta – Managing Director, Global Co-Head of Oil and Gas Corporate Finance, Standard Chartered Bank; and Mike Adams – Head of Exploration, Gene Energy.
Each brings his or her expertise and perspective to the subjects of frontier exploration; challenges, opportunities and risks; deepwater exploration; the future of upstream; E&P trends; gas resources and gas-to-power development; and technology in the industry, amongst many more. Africa Oil Week provides a forum for exploring them all.
Adedapo Adesanya