Designed as a strategic preview of the main event, the London showcase will provide UK and European stakeholders with first-hand insight into Venezuela’s evolving investment landscape while creating opportunities for commercial dialogue with industry leaders, potential partners and key decision-makers.

Home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves and significant natural gas resources, Venezuela is entering a new phase of energy development focused on increasing production, expanding gas commercialization and modernizing critical infrastructure. Ongoing reforms and renewed international engagement are creating opportunities for companies able to provide capital, technology and technical expertise.

The timing is particularly significant as several UK and European energy companies continue to strengthen their presence in Venezuela. UK-based majors Shell and BP are advancing key natural gas developments, with Shell preparing for 2027 drilling at the Dragon offshore gas project and BP signing agreements in April to develop the Cocuina-Manakin offshore gas field, marking its return to the Venezuelan market. Spain’s Repsol recently announced plans to increase production from its Venezuelan assets, while Italy’s Eni is relaunching a heavy crude project in the Orinoco Belt. France’s Maurel & Prom, meanwhile, remains a key partner in strategic assets such as the Urdaneta Oeste field. On the trading and commercialization front, Geneva-headquartered energy trader Vitol has renewed its engagement with Venezuelan crude exports, reflecting broader international interest in reconnecting the country’s resources with global markets.

Against this backdrop, the London Industry Showcase will highlight Venezuela’s re-emerging investment potential while creating a platform for strategic networking and direct engagement with government leaders, national energy companies, regulators and private sector partners.

The event is expected to attract representatives from investment funds, export credit agencies, commercial banks, private equity firms, commodity traders, engineering companies, technology providers and UK-based independent energy companies exploring opportunities across Venezuela’s energy value chain.

The showcase will also provide an exclusive preview of Venezuela Energy Week 2026, including ministerial dialogues, executive forums, technical conferences and dedicated business-to-business networking sessions designed to connect international investors with the decision-makers shaping the country’s energy future.

Taking place on October 26–29, 2026 in Caracas, Venezuela Energy Week serves as the country’s premier platform for advancing investment across the oil, gas and power sectors. By bringing the conversation to London – one of the world’s leading financial and energy centers – the Industry Showcase builds momentum ahead of the flagship event while strengthening ties between international capital and one of the world’s most resource-rich energy markets.

To participate in the London Industry Showcase on July 30 or secure your place at Venezuela Energy Week 2026 in Caracas this October, contact info@venezuelaenergyweek.com to learn more about delegate, sponsorship and partnership opportunities.

Supporting Venezuela’s Earthquake Recovery

Our thoughts are with the people and communities affected by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela. As the country begins the long process of recovery, we encourage members of the global energy community to support relief and reconstruction efforts through the CAF Recovery and Reconstruction Fund for Venezuela, which channels contributions from individuals, companies and organizations to emergency assistance, essential services and long-term rebuilding efforts.

To learn more or make a contribution, please visit the CAF Recovery and Reconstruction Fund for Venezuela (https://apo-opa.co/3RKKqfz).

The AEC is proud to back the upcoming Venezuela Energy Week (VEW) Conference and Exhibition, recognizing the platform as a premier event for international investment as Venezuela accelerates the reopening of its energy sector. Taking place October 26-29 in Caracas, VEW convenes government leaders, international energy companies, financiers and technology firms to chart the next phase of the country’s energy development, reinforcing the country’s potential as a global energy supplier. The AEC will also join and support VEW’s global roadshow events, taking place July 30 in London and August 18 in Houston.

“Venezuela has reformed and demonstrated its commitment to global partnerships. Now we need to invest and work with its citizens to build the country, especially after the devastating earthquake. VEW signals a new era of energy investment for the country. With a goal to unlock billions of dollars’ worth of deals for the country, the conference is positioned to transform Venezuela’s energy sector,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, AEC.

Taking place with the full support of Venezuela’s Ministry of Hydrocarbons and national oil company PDVSA, VEW 2026 arrives at a critical juncture for the country. Home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves at over 300 billion barrels – as well as 195 trillion cubic feet of natural gas -, the country is embarking on a phased redevelopment strategy aimed at accelerating undeveloped mega-projects, reactivating shut-in wells and restoring production to up to 3 million barrels per day (bpd). These objectives are creating significant investment opportunities for operators and service providers alike, and VEW will connect companies to Venezuelan projects.

The country’s energy strategy is underpinned by regulatory reforms aimed at improving the investment environment. Recent hydrocarbon reforms include reduced fiscal burdens, expanded production-sharing mechanisms, strengthened arbitration protections and increased operational control for foreign operators. These moves reflect the government’s broader ambitions to attract capital across proven basins with significant upside. These include the Orinoco Belt and Maracaibo Basin, both of which have seen several international operators either return or expand their portfolios in recent months.

Shell is preparing for 2027 drilling at the Dragon offshore gas projects, bp entered the market in April through an agreement to develop the Cocuina-Manakin offshore gas field, while Repsol announced plans to increase production from its Venezuelan assets. Eni is relaunching a heavy crude project in the Orinoco Belt while Maurel & Prom is positioning itself as a strategic partner for assets such as Urdaneta Oeste. These moves showcase a market advancing toward its next phase of growth, demonstrating the potential for future investments.

Venezuela’s mid- and downstream markets are evolving in tandem. Vitol recently renewed its engagement with the country, while efforts to revitalize refining and gas monetization are creating new opportunities for both regional and international companies. Refining capacity of nearly 1.3 million bpd is currently operating at 35% utilization, highlighting immediate opportunities in refining rehabilitation and broader downstream expansion. With over $100 billion required to rehabilitate the country’s oil and gas sector, VEW will position Venezuelan projects at the forefront of the global investment agenda.

“Venezuela has one of the world’s largest hydrocarbon resource bases, and its re-engagement with international investors has the potential to reshape energy investment across Latin America. As regulatory conditions evolve and opportunities expand, the country’s must be increasingly backed by trade and investments that lift the people up,” Ayuk added.

For the AEC, the event reflects the type of investment-focused engagement needed to unlock large-scale energy development. By bringing together policymakers, operators and financiers under one roof, VEW provides a direct platform for companies evaluating market entry while supporting dialogue that translates policy reforms into commercial partnerships.

As part of ongoing financial interventions in Algeria since becoming a full member of the Bank in 2022, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) (has approved a US$ 200-million global revolving dual tranche facility in favour of Shoreline Power Company Limited (Shoreline) and its co-borrowers, including Arkad SpA, an Italian EPC contractor majority-owned by the Shoreline Group of Nigeria. The facility will support Arkad’s contractual share in a US$ 980-million contract for the Hassi Bir Rekaiz (HBR) Field Development project in Algeria.

Approved in June 2026, the facility will support Arkad’s 44 per cent contractual share in one of Algeria’s largest upstream infrastructure contracts, the landmark US$980 million engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the HBR Field Development Phase 2a project, awarded by Groupement Hassi Bir Rekaiz (GHBR), a joint venture between Sonatrach (Algeria), PTTEP (Thailand) and CEPSA (Spain).

This announcement builds on the momentum of the fourth edition of the Intra-Africa Trade Fair (IATF) held in Algeria in September 2025, which generated US$50 billion in trade and investment deals and further cemented the Fair’s position as a catalyst for intra-African commerce.

Afreximbank acted as sole mandated lead arranger and lender for the transaction, providing the US$ 200 million comprising a US$110-million one-off contract finance facility to support Arkad’s issuance of performance and advance payment guarantees and working capital requirements for the HBR Phase 2a EPC contract and a US$90-million revolving global facility to finance and support Shoreline and its affiliates in the bidding, construction and development of pipeline and infrastructure projects within Nigeria and other permitted jurisdictions.

The development of a new central processing facility for HBR Field Phase 2a, which the facility supports, is expected to lead to an increase in Algeria’s oil and gas production capacity from approximately 13,000 bpd to 50,000–60,000 bpd, generating significant foreign exchange for Sonatrach and the Algerian economy.

In addition, the facility is expected to support Arkad and the Shoreline Group in establishing a credible track record as a pan-African EPC contractor capable of executing sovereign-level energy projects, catalysing skills transfer and reducing dependence on non-African construction firms, while the success of the consortium of Arkad (Nigerian-owned, Italian) and Petrojet (Egyptian, state-owned) will represent a significant intra-African movement of capital, expertise, and engineering resources, demonstrating Africa’s growing capacity to manage and deliver complex EPC projects.

Structured under Afreximbank’s EPC Initiative, which is designed to provide African engineering and construction firms with the financial and non-financial instruments needed to compete for and execute large-scale infrastructure contracts across the continent and beyond, the transaction is expected to generate approximately 6,000 jobs and to catalyse regional supply-chain development in Algeria.

The transaction is a tangible outcome of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) deal-making process and EPC twinning services at IATF2025 in Algiers, where Afreximbank supported the partnership between Arkad and Petrojet and then backed their successful participation in securing the HBR contract.

Welcoming the facility, Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade Finance and Export Development, Afreximbank, described it as a prime example of the kind of support Afreximbank provides to African-owned engineering groups to compete and deliver at the highest levels.

“This transaction providing Shoreline Power Company Limited and Arkad SpA with the financing to execute this landmark US$ 980-million EPC contract in Algeria exemplifies our EPC Initiative and our Intra-African Trade Champions framework in action – enabling an African-owned engineering group to compete and deliver at the highest levels of global project execution,” Awani said. “By providing the US$ 200 million in structured financing, we are not only supporting Algeria’s national energy infrastructure development but also advancing intra-African trade in high-value engineering and construction services among Nigeria, Italy, and Egypt. This is precisely the kind of transaction that demonstrates Africa’s growing industrial capability and its capacity to shape its own development agenda. Afreximbank remains committed to being the financing partner of choice for African champions that are building transformative infrastructure across our continent.”

The transaction is the first time Afreximbank has supported a Sub-Saharan African contractor in undertaking a major infrastructure project in North Africa, marking an important step toward deeper intra-African integration, enhanced cross-regional cooperation, and the creation of truly pan-African engineering champions.