CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 13, 2026/APO Group/ –Senegal is reinforcing the policy architecture behind its new hydrocarbons era, with the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines launching reforms to the legal framework for local content in the extractive sector in March 2026. The reforms are aimed at improving national value retention while maintaining momentum on upstream and infrastructure development.

 




  

The move comes as Dakar works to translate first oil and first gas into broader industrial growth, stronger domestic participation and long-term energy security. Against this backdrop, Birame Soulèye Diop, Senegal’s Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, will speak at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 – taking place in Cape Town from October 12-16 – where he is expected to present Senegal’s roadmap for balancing investor engagement, gas monetization and sovereign energy development.

In January 2026, 3.8 million barrels of crude oil were exported from the Sangomar field, while the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project is expected to nearly double its LNG cargoes in 2026 as the FLNG ramp‑up continues. Beyond current production, Senegal is also pushing to expand its resource pipeline. Petrosen has announced plans for a $100 million onshore exploration program in 2026, while the government has also signaled a stronger strategic focus on Yakaar-Teranga, with Senegalese investors encouraged to take a greater role in developing the 25 trillion cubic feet gas resource to prioritize domestic needs while keeping export optionality on the table.

Dakar is now focused on the next phase: using domestic gas resources to lower electricity costs, improve fuel security and support industrial competitiveness. A key pillar of this strategy is the 250 MW Gandon power plant, expected to be supplied through new gas infrastructure linked to the GTA system, alongside the broader Cap des Biches and northern gas corridor buildout. At the same time, Dakar is continuing to strengthen the regulatory foundations of its power transition. In March 2026, the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines validated Senegal’s first national standards for solar photovoltaic equipment, a move designed to improve quality, safety and performance as the country scales renewable energy deployment in parallel with oil and gas infrastructure.

At AEW 2026, Minister Diop is expected to provide strategic insight into how Senegal is navigating the transition from discovery and commissioning to full-scale execution. His participation is set to reinforce Senegal as one of the few frontier African producers pursuing an integrated model that combines hydrocarbons, gas-to-power and renewables under a single national development agenda.

“Minister Diop represents the kind of pragmatic African leadership that is turning resource potential into real economic transformation. Senegal is showing how first oil and first gas can become the basis for industrial growth, stronger regional integration and long-term energy security and his insights will bring great value to AEW 2026,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 13, 2026/APO Group/ –The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (www.EnergyChamber.org) has welcomed bp’s acquisition of a 60% operating interest in three offshore exploration blocks in Namibia, describing the move as a strong endorsement of Africa’s frontier basins and the continent’s growing role in global energy supply.

The transaction, which gives bp operatorship of blocks PEL97, PEL99 and PEL100 in Namibia’s Walvis Basin, marks a significant expansion of the UK supermajor’s African upstream footprint. The assets were acquired from Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas, with bp stepping into a position that places it closer to Namibia’s rapidly evolving deepwater exploration corridor adjacent to the Orange Basin.

 




  

The deal reinforces the shift in Africa’s exploration narrative – from perceived frontier risk toward increasingly competitive global opportunity, underpinned by geological potential, improving partnerships and rising investor confidence.

“Credit must be given to bp for recognizing the scale of opportunity in Namibia, and equally to Gil Holzman and Eco Atlantic for pioneering early exploration efforts that helped position these blocks on the global radar,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC. “This is what African energy development should look like – international majors and African-focused companies working together to unlock value, build knowledge and accelerate development.”

Namibia has rapidly emerged as one of the world’s most closely watched frontier exploration provinces, following a wave of offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin by operators including Shell, TotalEnergies and Galp. These discoveries have repositioned the country as a potential multi-billion-barrel deepwater oil province and triggered a surge of international interest.

The Walvis Basin, where bp has now established operatorship, remains less explored but is increasingly seen as a geological extension of the same broader petroleum system. Early indicators point to comparable reservoir characteristics, positioning it as a potential next frontier for exploration-led investment. While appraisal and development timelines remain long-cycle, Namibia is expected to see first production from offshore discoveries by the end of the decade, assuming continued exploration success and infrastructure alignment.

bp’s move reflects a broader rebalancing in global upstream portfolios, as international oil companies prioritize high-impact exploration opportunities capable of delivering long-term reserves growth.

Africa is increasingly benefiting from this shift. As mature basins face declining output and rising costs, frontier regions such as Namibia are emerging as strategic alternatives offering scale, geological upside and relatively open acreage.

Under the agreement, Eco Atlantic will retain a minority stake alongside Namibia’s national oil company NAMCOR, ensuring continued local participation in the development of the blocks. This model is critical to ensuring that exploration success translates into domestic value creation, local capability development and long-term production capacity.

While Namibia remains in the exploration phase, the pace of activity points to a rapidly evolving basin trajectory. bp’s entry adds technical expertise and financial capacity that could accelerate appraisal drilling and future development planning.

The deal also reflects a broader validation of Africa’s upstream sector as a central pillar of future global energy security, particularly as supply diversification becomes a strategic priority for international markets. bp’s investment, alongside the groundwork laid by Eco Atlantic under Gil Holzman’s leadership, underscores a collaboration model that positions Namibia not just as a frontier play, but as an emerging cornerstone of Africa’s deepwater future.

LUANDA, Angola, August 20, 2026/APO Group/ –Angola’s National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) has spent the past six years reshaping the country’s upstream sector through regulatory reform, fiscal incentives and a multi-year licensing strategy designed to reverse a prolonged decline in oil production. The regulator is now looking at the next 25 years through the development of a 2025-2050 Hydrocarbon Strategy aimed at sustaining output, incentivizing exploration and maximizing output from legacy fields.

 




 
 

As the regulator advances the strategy, ANPG Chairman Paulino Jerónimo is confirmed to speak at the Angola Oil and Gas (AOG) 2026 Conference and Exhibition, taking place in Luanda from September 9-10 with a pre-conference day scheduled for September 8. Jerónimo’s participation reflects the regulator’s commitment to engaging operators and investors and is expected to support discussions around the future of Angola’s hydrocarbon development.

Released for public comment in July 2026, the 2025-2050 Hydrocarbon Strategy represents a long-term plan to sustain and grow production from a base that has fallen from a peak of roughly 1.87 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2008 to approximately 1.1 million bpd. The framework follows a 2019-2025 strategy which saw 40 concessions awarded through a multi-year licensing strategy and the mobilization of an upstream investment pipeline estimated at $70 billion.

The reform agenda behind that pipeline is well documented, from the establishment of the ANPG as a dedicated upstream regulator in 2019 to the introduction of an Incremental Production Decree, Gas Monetization Law and Marginal Field Law. The agency is now focused on its forward agenda, preparing its next licensing round with blocks available across the Kwanza, Benguela and Namibe basins.

It is also overseeing the rollout of the Gas Master Plan, which provides the framework for monetizing Angola’s non-associated gas reserves, and working to raise local content participation from approximately 12% to a target of 20% by 2027. The fiscal regime has been adjusted in parallel, with lower tax and royalty rates on mature assets and more generous cost recovery terms designed to keep reinvestment flowing into aging fields.

The results are visible across Angola’s offshore basins. The TotalEnergies-operated Begonia and CLOV Phase 3 projects both came on stream in 2025, adding a combined 60,000 bpd to national output. Azule Energy’s Agogo FPSO started production the same year. TotalEnergies is also advancing the $6 billion Kaminho project, the first large deepwater development in the Kwanza Basin, while Shell has returned to Angola through Blocks 19, 34 and 35. On the gas side, production began in March 2026 at the Quiluma and Maboqueiro fields under the New Gas Consortium, marking Angola’s entry into non-associated gas production. The milestone followed Azule Energy’s dedicated gas discovery at Block 1/14, laying the foundation for future development.

As the ANPG looks to maintain this development momentum, AOG 2026 will provide a platform for the regulator to engage directly with international operators, investors and service providers as the country advances its next phase of upstream development. Discussions at the event are expected to focus on the implementation of the 2025-2050 Hydrocarbon Strategy, the upcoming licensing round, frontier exploration opportunities, gas monetization and policies designed to sustain production beyond 2050.

By bringing together government leaders and industry decision-makers, the conference will support continued investment and collaboration as Angola builds on the momentum created by its recent upstream reforms.