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Gabon: Positioning Oil & Gas as an Enabler of Countrywide Growth

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Gabon

Gabon is seeking to attract an influx of private capital and participation on the back of fortified infrastructure, greater financial inclusion of SMEs and the establishment of public-private partnerships

LIBREVILLE, Gabon, May 25, 2023/APO Group/ — 

With its economic indicators showing clear signs of recovery, and the current Parti Démocratique Gabonais (PDG) set to retain power after this year’s elections, Gabon’s economic plans (https://apo-opa.info/3q5SqcV) are moving ahead at full speed.

Under its 2025 Plan for an Emerging Gabon (PSGE), the country is seeking to facilitate the influx of private capital and participation in both the hydrocarbons value chain and diversified industrial base, leveraging private sector growth to fuel diversification into non-oil sectors like gas, infrastructure, timber, ecotourism and mining.

The cornerstone of these plans are ongoing initiatives to develop more resilient infrastructure, improve the ease of doing business and support training and education, all in a bid to make it more attractive for private investors to enter and operate in Gabon.

Gabon has implemented wide-ranging legal and regulatory reforms to make its operating environment more conducive to new investment

Despite the country’s largest industry – oil – being the source of asphalt, and its second-largest industry – logging – being dependent on roads, Gabon has limited physical infrastructure outside of a few urban centers, leaving much of the country cut off from industrialized growth and inhibiting connections to water and electricity. To address this problem, the government is seeking to unbundle the Gabon Energy and Water Company (SEEG) and deregulate the utilities sector, allowing private players to enter the market and improving access by households and businesses. The government also created its first special economic zone (SEZ) at Nkok near the deep-sea port of Owendo, providing access to water and electricity and on-site legal and financial services to local and foreign investors. Last April, plans were announced for a third such zone in the south-eastern province of Haut-Ogooué, specifically aimed at attracting investment in agriculture, forestry and mining, promoting economic diversification, boosting exports, and generating up to 4,000 jobs in the underdeveloped south of the country.

The Gabonese government has also been working collaboratively with the private sector to improve the ease of doing business, setting up a network of business incubators that assist entrepreneurs with feasibility studies, market studies, business plans, accounting and vocational training (https://apo-opa.info/3qeyu7W), as well as providing qualified access to capital by bringing together project leaders and potential investors. To consolidate these gains and prepare younger generations for a more economically integrated future, the Multisectoral Center for Vocational Education and Training (CIMFEP) was launched in 2021 to match local skills with the projected needs of private sector diversification. The program has been lauded by the United Nations as being aligned with its own recommendations about how best to aid the development and diversification of Central African economies.

In addition to these initiatives, Gabon has implemented wide-ranging legal and regulatory reforms to make its operating environment more conducive to new investment. For example, Gabon’s Ministry of Oil, Gas, Hydrocarbons and Mines worked hand in hand with International Oil Companies (IOCs) in revising the Hydrocarbons Code (https://apo-opa.info/3oIPjqD) to improve fiscal terms and optimize performance of the sector. The resulting New Hydrocarbons Code (2019) reduced government participation and royalties in production sharing contracts, as well as stipulated that local oil and gas service providers should be given preference when tendering work in logistics and supplies, giving them valuable access to income, technology and skills development. Not only did the revised code renew interest from IOCs in Gabon’s upstream landscape, but it also demonstrated the value of private-public sector collaboration in driving new investments.

These efforts to facilitate partnerships between the state and the private sector seem to have paid off: Gabon has launched several public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the realm of power and utilities, including a recent MOU signed between Gabon Power Company and independent oil and gas company Perenco for the construction of a gas-fired power plant in Mayumba. Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly develop the plant, which will produce gas from Perenco’s nearby offshore oil and gas fields to electrify 80,000 households in Gabon’s southern provinces. Initiating collaboration through PPPs can be an effective way tomobilize financing and distribute risk among multiple parties. In addition, these partnerships garner multi-faceted governmental support and formalized energy development plans, while capitalizing on free-market expertise and competition required to operate the project from a technical standpoint. The success of PPPs in Gabon’s utilities space, along with ongoing reforms to improve the ease of doing business, are highly anticipated to drive private sector growth in the country in the coming decade.

All this and more will be further unpacked in Energy Capital & Power’s upcoming market report, Energy Invest Gabon. Keep following for more information about this exciting report!

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

Energy

Kosmos Energy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Inglis to Receive Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026

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African Energy Chamber

Inglis is recognized for more than four decades of industry leadership, spanning major African oil and gas developments, entrepreneurship, workforce development and community investment

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 5, 2026/APO Group/ –Andrew Inglis, Chairman and CEO of international energy company Kosmos Energy, has been selected as the winner of the African Energy Week (AEW) 2026’s Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to advancing African energy projects and ongoing commitment to strengthening community development continent-wide. The award recognizes a career spanning more than four decades and an enduring contribution to the development of Africa’s energy industry.

 




  

Inglis joined Kosmos as Chairman and CEO in 2014 following 30 years at bp, where he rose to become CEO of Exploration and Production. Since then, he has overseen Kosmos’ growth across some of West Africa’s most important offshore basins, helping translate major discoveries into producing assets while supporting investment in local businesses, professionals and communities.

Andrew Inglis represents the kind of leadership Africa needs – leadership that finds resources

Central to this legacy is the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG development, situated on the maritime border of Mauritania and Senegal. Kosmos discovered the Tortue field in 2015, opening a major new gas province that ultimately underpinned GTA. First LNG production was achieved in 2025 and the project continues to move into ramp-up and optimization in 2026. Additional liquefaction capacity is expected to come onstream in phases, with a portion of gas allocated for the domestic markets in Mauritania and Senegal. In Q2, 2026, gross production averaged approximately 2.65 million tons per annum and nine LNG cargoes were lifted during the period.

In Ghana, Kosmos continues to invest in the Jubilee and TEN fields. A multi-well drilling campaign in 2026 has driven Jubilee production higher, with new wells supporting gross output above 85,000 barrels per day by the end of the second quarter and further development planned. Earlier this year, Ghana ratified extensions to the Jubilee and TEN licenses through 2040, providing the foundation for additional investment and drilling. Kosmos Energy has also played a central role in strengthening Equatorial Guinea’s production landscape. Inglis oversaw Kosmos’ expansion in the country, where the company invested in the Ceiba Field and Okume Complex from 2017 until completing the sale of its producing interests to Panoro Energy in June 2026.

Yet Inglis’ impact goes far beyond project development. Under his leadership, Kosmos has advanced its local content strategy, centered on capacity building, education and entrepreneurial support as well as social development. The Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) has supported entrepreneurship in Ghana, Mauritania, Senegal and Ivory Coast. Since inception, KIC programs have trained more than 5,600 people, supported 185 businesses, helped launch more than 220 startups and contributed to more than 700 direct jobs. In Equatorial Guinea, Kosmos supported education, healthcare and community initiatives, including the PRODEGE education program, which trained two-thirds of the country’s primary-school teachers during its first five years.

“Andrew Inglis represents the kind of leadership Africa needs – leadership that finds resources, invests for the long term and understands that the ultimate measure of success is the opportunity created around those investments. From GTA and Ghana to the entrepreneurs, workers and communities Kosmos has supported, his impact extends far beyond barrels and molecules. He has helped build businesses, develop people and demonstrate the enormous value that responsible investment can create across Africa,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Inglis will received the Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award at the AEW Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony, taking place during the conference next month. Convening international investors, African governments and leading operators from October 12-16, the event is positioned as Africa’s energy marketplace.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

 

 




 

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Africa’s Biggest Energy Movement Returns to Cape Town Next Week

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African Energy Chamber

Taking place October 12-16, African Energy Week is one of the continent’s major gathering, convening more than 10,000 international delegates for five days of dealmaking

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, October 5, 2026/APO Group/ –In one week, more than 10,000 delegates will converge in Cape Town to access Africa’s next generation of energy investment opportunities as African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 brings projects, capital and decision-makers together from October 12-16.

As Africa’s biggest energy movement, AEW 2026 is built for business. Through dedicated investment forums, country spotlights, the Deal Room, investor briefings, roundtables and high-level networking, the event will provide direct access to the projects and decision-makers driving Africa’s next phase of energy development.

 




  

Multiple Tracks, One Strategic Focus

AEW 2026 will deliver a multi-track agenda designed to move investment discussions across the energy value chain. The AEW Townhall will tackle the major strategic issues shaping Africa’s energy future, while the Upstream E&P Forum will put exploration, licensing, drilling and production growth at the center of discussions.

The Energy Finance Forum will connect projects and developers with capital, while the Energy Additions Forum will examine the mix of resources and infrastructure required to expand energy access and support industrialization. The Downstream & Petrochemicals Forum rounds up the main conference stages and will turn attention to refining, fuels, petrochemicals and opportunities for African markets to capture greater value from their resources.

More Platforms, More Investment Pathways

Beyond its core forums, AEW 2026 will feature dedicated platforms targeting some of Africa’s fastest-growing investment opportunities. A pre-conference will set the tone for the week’s discussions, featuring sessions including the 8th Meeting of the APPO NOCs CEOs Forum; Global Energy Leaders Forum; the Deal Room; and African Farmout Forum.

Next week, Cape Town will bring the industry together with one objective: getting African energy projects moving

Renegade Intel will bring artificial intelligence, data centers and digital infrastructure into the energy conversation, while Power Africa Today will focus on the investment, infrastructure and technologies required to expand electricity supply across the continent. Dedicated technical stages will provide space for specialized industry discussions, while roundtables and investor briefings will bring smaller groups of decision-makers together around specific projects, markets and investment requirements.

Africa’s Investment Markets Take the Stage

AEW 2026 will put some of the continent’s most dynamic energy markets directly in front of international investors through dedicated country spotlights. South Africa, Nigeria, Gabon, Ghana, Namibia, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, Algeria, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea and more will take the stage, providing governments and industry leaders with an opportunity to present investment strategies, policy developments, available acreage and priority projects.

Petroleum ministers from across the continent are participating, bringing their respective investment priorities and opportunities directly to an international audience. The President of Senegal has designated a high-level representative to speak at AEW 2026, while ministers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Niger, Kenya, and more are also participating. International government is also confirmed, including senior representatives from Brazil, Japan, Venezuela, the United States, Grenada, among others.

Beyond the Conference Floor

Dealmaking at AEW 2026 will extend well beyond formal conference sessions. On Monday, October 12, the Just Energy Transition Concert will open the week by bringing African music and energy together, featuring Keasungs, Mafikizolo, Roga Roga & Extra Musica and DJ Dollar before Nigerian star Adekunle Gold closes the evening as the headline act.

A program of networking functions throughout the week will create additional opportunities for investors, government representatives and executives to build relationships and advance discussions outside the conference rooms. The African Energy Awards & Gala Dinner will bring the industry together to recognize the companies, projects and individuals driving Africa’s energy development, providing a high-level conclusion to AEW’s wider networking and engagement program.

“AEW is not just another meeting to discuss Africa’s energy potential; it is a movement where projects meet capital, governments meet investors and companies turn Africa’s resources into catalysts for long-term development. Next week, Cape Town will bring the industry together with one objective: getting African energy projects moving,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

AEW 2026 is fast-approaching but there is still time to secure your place.

Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about registration.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

 




 

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Energy

African Energy Week (AEW 2026) Turns Cape Town into Africa’s Energy Marketplace

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African Energy Chamber

Ministerial delegations, national oil companies, operators and financiers will converge in Cape Town to negotiate deals, forge commercial partnerships and advance African energy projects

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, October 5, 2026/APO Group/ –African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 (https://apo-opa.co/4dR325o) is more than a conference. It is Africa’s energy marketplace – a meeting point for the governments that control resources, the companies that develop them, the financiers that provide capital and the service providers that turn investment decisions into operating projects. From October 12–16, Cape Town will become a platform for these players to negotiate deals, establish commercial relationships and move African energy opportunities closer to execution.

 




  

This commercial mandate has helped turn AEW into a broader movement around African energy development. By bringing decision-makers across the value chain into one marketplace, the event creates an opportunity not only to discuss the trajectory of Africa’s energy systems, but to actively reshape it.

AEW 2026 will convene ministers, national oil companies (NOCs), international operators, independents, financiers and service companies, with a program structured around commercial engagement. In addition to its strategic conference stages, the event incorporates live deal signings, structured business matchmaking and closed-door meetings. More than 9,000 delegates from over 100 countries are preparing to make their way to Cape Town, bringing with them new opportunities for investment, collaboration and project advancement.

AEW has already cemented itself as Africa’s energy marketplace, where every party needed to advance a project or initiative is present and actively pursuing deals. The marketplace model has also translated engagement at the event into tangible commercial outcomes, with agreements concluded across financing, project development and cross-border partnerships.

When people ask me what AEW is, I tell them it’s the African energy marketplace

Agreements signed at recent editions span project finance, trade finance, hydrogen development and NOC partnerships. Signatories at AEW 2022 included Afreximbank, Sasol, Technip Energies and Namcor. The 2023 edition recorded a loan agreement between Afreximbank and Alphaden Energy & Oilfield, as well as a hydrogen agreement between Gambia’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and H2 Gambia Limited. Five agreements were signed at AEW 2024, including a partnership between the NOCs of the Republic of Congo and Azerbaijan and a trade finance agreement between Afreximbank and Dorman Long Engineering.

Equatorial Guinea’s 2026 licensing round illustrates how engagement at AEW progresses into commercial activity. The country announced the round at AEW 2025 and provided prospective bidders with details on available acreage, the bid timeline and amendments to fiscal terms and production sharing contracts. This momentum will continue into 2026. Algeria will bring its ongoing bid round – featuring seven onshore exploration opportunities – to the forefront of the event while Liberia’s Petroleum Regulatory Authority, in partnership with Energy Capital & Power, will showcase the country’s 2026 Direct Negotiation Petroleum Licensing Round.

AEW 2026 takes this engagement further. The Deal Room provides project sponsors and developers with a platform to present active oil, gas, power and infrastructure transactions, while the African Farmout Forum, held in partnership with Moyes & Co, Farmout Angel and Envoi, presents available blocks and acreage from across the continent. An African Upstream M&A panel will assess prevailing deal structures, and a dedicated finance session will examine risk allocation as a determinant of financial close.

Country sessions give operators direct access to government decision-makers. The program features spotlights on South Africa, Senegal, Nigeria, Namibia, Ghana, the Republic of Congo and more, while the 8th Meeting of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization NOC CEOs’ Forum will facilitate collaboration between major players.

Power Africa Today, Renegade Intel and the Upstream E&P Forum will run alongside the main program, extending AEW’s coverage to power, digital infrastructure and exploration. Together, these platforms reinforce AEW’s role not simply as a forum for discussing Africa’s energy future, but as a place where the commercial relationships, investment decisions and agreements shaping that future are made.

“When people ask me what AEW is, I tell them it’s the African energy marketplace. You walk into that building and ministers are there, NOCs are there, banks are there, the company with the rig is there, and they’re all looking for each other. Some of the most important conversations of the year happen in a corridor between sessions, and more often than not they end with a signed agreement,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Registration for AEW 2026 is available at https://apo-opa.co/4dR325o.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

 

 




 

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