CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –The Venezuela Global Investment Forum will take place during African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town from October 12 -16, bringing together senior Venezuelan government officials, national oil company leadership, international energy executives, financiers and commodity traders to showcase one of the world’s most significant energy market reopening while creating a direct pathway for global investment into Venezuela’s rapidly evolving hydrocarbons sector.

 

Organized as a flagship feature of AEW 2026, the Venezuela Global Investment Forum underscores the growing momentum behind the country’s energy sector reforms and its renewed engagement with international investors. More than a traditional conference session, the Forum will connect investors directly with bankable upstream, natural gas, infrastructure and power opportunities by showcasing Venezuelan projects alongside some of Africa’s largest energy developments in the AEW Deal Room.

Following sweeping reforms to the country’s Organic Hydrocarbons Law earlier this year, Venezuela has introduced one of its most comprehensive investment overhauls in decades. The reforms expand opportunities for private operators, establish new production participation contracts, introduce more competitive fiscal terms and strengthen international arbitration mechanisms aimed at reducing investment risk and restoring confidence among international capital providers.

“Venezuela is opening a new chapter for its energy industry. The reforms underway are creating a more competitive and attractive investment environment and the Venezuela Global Investment Forum at AEW 2026 provides the ideal platform for international investors to engage directly with decision-makers and explore the opportunities emerging across the country’s oil, gas, infrastructure and power sectors,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.

These reforms are already reshaping the investment landscape. The government is targeting crude production of 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of 2026 after output recovered to approximately 1.2 million bpd during the first half of the year. Beyond oil production, Venezuela is advancing a broader strategy centered on natural gas monetization, offshore development, infrastructure rehabilitation and power sector modernization, creating opportunities across the entire energy value chain.

Throughout the Forum, delegates will hear directly from ministers, senior government officials, national oil company executives, international operators, development finance institutions, commodity traders and technical leaders responsible for implementing Venezuela’s new investment framework. Discussions will focus on expanding upstream investment, accelerating natural gas development, modernizing infrastructure and creating long-term partnerships that support Venezuela’s renewed role in global energy markets.

The forum also reinforces the strategic relationship between AEW 2026 and Venezuela Energy Week, which will take place in Caracas from February 22-25, 2027. Together, the two events form a coordinated international investment campaign that begins by introducing global investors to Venezuela’s reformed investment environment in Cape Town before continuing in Caracas, where commercial negotiations, technical engagement and project execution will move toward final investment decisions.

As global energy markets continue to prioritize supply security, infrastructure investment and new sources of production growth, Venezuela is positioning itself to re-establish its role as a major international energy supplier. Through the Venezuela Global Investment Forum at AEW 2026, investors will gain an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the country’s new investment framework, evaluate commercially attractive projects and build partnerships that support Venezuela’s return to global energy markets while strengthening cooperation between Africa and Latin America.

CIDADE DO CABO, África do Sul, 13 de agosto 2026/APO Group/ –Três altos responsáveis governamentais e reguladores que estão a moldar o futuro dos setores energéticos de Barbados, Angola e Marrocos irão intervir na African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, que decorrerá na Cidade do Cabo, de 12 a 16 de outubro. A sua participação surge num momento em que cada um destes mercados está a avançar com reformas importantes destinadas a atrair investimento, expandir as infraestruturas energéticas e reforçar a segurança energética a longo prazo.

 

Reunindo ministros, entidades reguladoras, empresas petrolíferas nacionais e investidores globais, a AEW 2026 constitui a principal plataforma do continente para a definição de políticas energéticas e parcerias comerciais. Os debates abrangerão as áreas de upstream, licenciamento, estratégias de transição energética, desenvolvimento de infraestruturas e integração regional, com os líderes governamentais a desempenharem um papel central na definição do panorama de investimento nos mercados africanos e internacionais.

Kerrie D. Symmonds, Ministro da Energia, Desenvolvimento Empresarial e Comércio de Barbados e Ministro Sénior Coordenador do Setor Produtivo, participa na conferência num momento em que a nação caribenha prossegue uma estratégia energética de dupla vertente. Após a sua nomeação em fevereiro deste ano, Symmonds tem supervisionado políticas que apoiam a meta de Barbados de atingir 100% de eletricidade renovável até 2030, ao mesmo tempo que abre o setor offshore do país a novas explorações.

Em junho, o governo lançou negociações diretas para 19 blocos em águas ultraprofundas, cobrindo mais de 62 000 km², criando oportunidades para exploradores internacionais a par do investimento contínuo no armazenamento em baterias e na modernização da rede elétrica. Na AEW 2026, a participação da Ministra Symmonds deverá destacar a estratégia de Barbados para alinhar a segurança energética com o crescimento económico e o investimento privado.

Posicionado para oferecer uma visão sobre um dos maiores programas de investimento a montante de África, Alcides Andrade, membro do Conselho Executivo da Agência Nacional de Petróleo, Gás e Biocombustíveis de Angola (ANPG), junta-se à AEW 2026 num momento em que a organização implementa uma estratégia de 60 mil milhões de dólares até 2030. A ANPG está também a apoiar grandes projetos, incluindo Agogo, Begonia, a Fase 3 do CLOV e os projetos de gás de Quiluma e Mabowueiro.

À medida que Angola trabalha para estabilizar a produção de petróleo e expandir a capacidade de refinação interna, Andrade estará em posição de debater as reformas regulatórias e as oportunidades de investimento que impulsionam a próxima fase de crescimento do país.

Entretanto, Salwa Didi, Diretora da Divisão de Avaliação Offshore do Gabinete Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos e Minas (ONHYM) de Marrocos, junta-se à AEW 2026 num momento em que a agência empreende a maior reforma institucional da sua história. A transformação do ONHYM numa sociedade anónima apoiada pelo Estado confere-lhe maior flexibilidade para angariar capital, criar filiais e atrair parceiros estratégicos. A reforma coincide com os progressos no Projeto de Gás de Tendrara, com os renovados esforços de exploração offshore e com o avanço contínuo do Gasoduto Nigéria-Marrocos, reforçando a ambição de Marrocos de se tornar um centro energético regional que ligue os recursos de gás africanos aos mercados europeus.

«O investimento na energia assenta em instituições sólidas, políticas claras e quadros de investimento competitivos», afirma NJ Ayuk, presidente executivo da Câmara Africana de Energia. «Barbados, Angola e Marrocos estão a demonstrar diferentes abordagens para libertar o seu potencial energético, e a AEW 2026 proporciona uma plataforma importante para que estes líderes interajam diretamente com investidores e com a indústria.»

A participação dos ministros Symmonds, Andrade e Didi reforça o papel da AEW 2026 como a principal plataforma do continente para o diálogo entre governos e o setor privado. Realizado ao longo de cinco dias no Centro Internacional de Conferências da Cidade do Cabo, o evento reúne decisores políticos com os investidores e promotores que impulsionam a próxima geração de projetos energéticos em África.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 12, 2026/APO Group/ –As commodity markets enter a new era defined by a rising demand for critical minerals, Mercuria Energy Group is rapidly expanding its global footprint through major acquisitions, strategic joint ventures and infrastructure investments. Against this backdrop, the company will participate as a Bronze Partner at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, taking place in Cape Town from October 12–16, where it will engage African governments, national oil companies and industry leaders on the next generation of energy investment opportunities.

Mercuria’s latest expansion reflects a strategy centered on controlling physical assets alongside its global trading operations. In June 2026, the company signed a marketing agreement and inventory prepayment facility with Lotus Resources. The agreement will support the commercialization of approximately 1.3 million kg of uranium from Malawi’s Kayelekera Mine over 30 months, strengthening the country’s role in global nuclear fuel supply while demonstrating growing investor confidence in African mining assets.

The company is also deepening its presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of the world’s most strategic critical mineral producers. In February, Mercuria completed its first purchases of responsibly sourced copper and cobalt from Enterprise Générale du Cobalt following a strategic agreement to strengthen traceability across artisanal mining supply chains. The partnership supports greater transparency while expanding international market access for Congolese minerals.

Mercuria continues to increase its financial commitment to Africa’s mining sector through large-scale prepayment financing that provides producers with development capital in exchange for long-term supply agreements. This approach is helping miners secure financing outside traditional banking channels while supporting new production across minerals essential to electrification, battery manufacturing and advanced technologies.

The company has also been linked to discussions surrounding the proposed development of Western critical mineral supply chains anchored by the DRC’s Kipushi Mine. By supporting financing structures for copper, zinc and other strategic minerals, Mercuria is reinforcing Africa’s role as a long-term supplier of resources required for global industrial growth and the energy transition.

These investments are supported by a significantly strengthened financial position. Mercuria reported an 88% increase in first-half 2026 profit and subsequently retained earnings to expand its equity base rather than distribute dividends. In June 2026, the company further enhanced its capacity to finance large-scale investments by securing a $3.84 billion multicurrency revolving credit facility, providing additional liquidity to support future projects, including across African markets.

“Access to innovative financing and global commodity markets will be essential to unlocking Africa’s full energy and mining potential,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “Mercuria’s growing investment across African critical minerals and resource value chains makes the company a valuable addition to AEW 2026, where industry leaders will shape the partnerships needed to drive the continent’s next phase of growth.”

Mercuria’s participation at AEW 2026 comes as African producers seek greater access to capital, trading expertise and commercial partnerships capable of accelerating resource development. As countries pursue new investment across hydrocarbons, critical minerals and associated infrastructure, the company’s integrated approach to financing, marketing and commodity trading offers a relevant model for unlocking large-scale projects across the continent.