Floating infrastructure has become the fastest route to market for African offshore resources. Yinson Production, which operates a fleet of 10 floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels backed by a $22 billion orderbook through 2048, brought the Agogo FPSO onstream offshore Angola in July 2025, four months ahead of schedule. In March 2026 it became the world’s first offshore facility to operate a post-combustion carbon capture system.

The company also opened a Windhoek office in January 2026 as it prepares for Namibia’s emerging deepwater market. Paal Gunnar Heistad, SVP, Business Development, and Francesco Leuzzi, Country Manager for Namibia and Africa Business Development, will speak at AEW 2026.

Floating LNG (FLNG) has delivered similar results on the export side. Golar LNG’s Gimi vessel reached commercial operations in June 2025 at the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project offshore Mauritania and Senegal, establishing both countries as LNG exporters, while the company’s FLNG Hilli has operated offshore Cameroon since 2018. CEO Karl Fredrik Staubo joins AEW 2026 as the company advances plans to order a fourth FLNG unit in 2026.

“FLNG has shortened the path from discovery to cargo, and projects like GTA prove African gas can compete in global markets. The next step is matching our export success with domestic success. I would like to see gas-to-industry investment that turns molecules into manufacturing jobs,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

That domestic agenda is building in Nigeria, where independent producers are turning associated gas into a viable product. Green Energy International (GEIL), operator of the Otakikpo field in Rivers State, runs 20 million standard cubic feet per day of gas handling capacity alongside a modular liquefied petroleum gas extraction plant designed to eliminate flaring.

The company’s ambition is to build localized domestic gas markets from small-scale opportunities. Anthony O. Adegbulugbe, Chairman, joins AEW 2026 following GEIL’s completion of the $400 million Otakikpo onshore export terminal in 2025.

Taking place October 12-16 in Cape Town, AEW 2026 will connect these gas solutions providers with the investors, operators and policymakers shaping the next wave of projects, from frontier deepwater developments in Namibia to industrial gas hubs in the Niger Delta.

Having assumed leadership of ExxonMobil Angola in late 2025, Unietis now oversees a portfolio entering a period of rapid execution. Under his leadership, ExxonMobil has shifted from primarily managing mature offshore assets toward delivering new production, extending field life and opening entirely new exploration provinces designed to support Angola’s ambition of sustaining crude output above one million barrels per day (bpd).

One of the company’s most significant recent milestones came in April 2026 when ExxonMobil awarded a major EPCI contract to Subsea7 for the Likembe Redevelopment 2.0 Project. The redevelopment will connect additional reservoirs back to existing Block 15 facilities through subsea tiebacks, illustrating the company’s increasing focus on infrastructure-led developments that shorten timelines while improving capital efficiency.

Alongside redevelopment activity, ExxonMobil continues to expand beyond its established producing assets. Earlier this year, the company partnered with TotalEnergies and Angola’s National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels to secure exploration rights across multiple blocks in the Benguela and Namibe Basins, two frontier regions expected to underpin Angola’s next generation of offshore discoveries. Geological evaluation also continues following ExxonMobil’s first exploration drilling campaign in the Namibe Basin, while additional subsurface assessments are underway across the Free Areas of Blocks 17/06 and 32/21.

The operational momentum follows a series of major strategic decisions taken shortly after Unietis assumed leadership. ExxonMobil and its Block 15 partners reached a final investment decision last year to extend production from the Mondo and Saxi-Batuque fields. The investment followed the extension of Block 15’s production license through 2037, providing the fiscal certainty needed to unlock further redevelopment opportunities across one of Angola’s most productive offshore assets.

Beyond upstream developments, ExxonMobil continues investing across the wider offshore value chain. The company recently secured a long-term charter agreement with Bourbon Mobility for a new fleet of fuel-efficient crew transfer vessels scheduled to enter service in 2027, while specialized management programs are being deployed to safely manage naturally occurring radioactive material generated from mature offshore operations.

These initiatives form part of ExxonMobil’s broader investment program, centered on maximizing production from existing infrastructure while opening new offshore basins capable of sustaining the country’s production base well into the next decade.

As Angola advances policies designed to attract fresh upstream capital and accelerate offshore development, AOG 2026 – taking place in Luanda from September 9‒10, with a pre-conference day on September 8 – will provide a key forum for government leaders, operators and investors to discuss the sector’s next phase of growth.

Unietis’ participation underscores ExxonMobil’s long-term commitment to Angola and positions the company at the forefront of the country’s strategy to combine mature asset redevelopment, frontier exploration and sustained investment to secure its future as one of Africa’s premier oil producers.  ​

That growing role will be on display at African Mining Week (AMW) 2026, taking place in Cape Town from October 14–16, where chamber executives will highlight the policies, partnerships and investment opportunities driving growth across Africa’s mining sector.

Zimbabwe offers a prime example of this expanding role. The Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe has become an increasingly influential voice in addressing production constraints, including power shortages and foreign exchange challenges. Its recommendations align with recent government initiatives to expand coal-fired power generation, increase coal production and achieve 10% mining sector growth in 2026. At AMW 2026, CEO Isaac Kwesu will outline investment opportunities emerging as the country implements reforms to strengthen mining competitiveness.

In South Africa, the Minerals Council South Africa continues to advocate for improvements to rail, port and electricity infrastructure while supporting the implementation of the Mineral Resources Development Bill and measures to stimulate exploration. These priorities complement government initiatives such as the Junior Mining Exploration Fund and a broader strategy to mobilize R2 trillion in mining investment over the next five years. CEO Mzila Mthenjane will discuss efforts to revitalize exploration and unlock opportunities across the country’s platinum group metals, manganese and critical minerals sectors.

In Zambia, the Zambia Chamber of Mines has helped shape the Geological and Minerals Development Act of 2025, legislation designed to stimulate mineral exploration as the country works toward increasing annual copper production to three million tons by 2031. Zambia has already reached a key milestone in its nationwide geological mapping program, completing 55% of the survey, while the recent launch of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure Policy and Geoportal is improving investor access to geological data. At AMW 2026, CEO Sokwani Chilembo is expected to showcase investment opportunities as Zambia expands exploration and diversifies beyond copper.

As countries increasingly position mining as a driver of economic diversification, Fousseni Togola, President of the Mali Chamber of Mines, will present opportunities in the country’s gold and lithium sectors, highlighting how Mali’s 2023 Mining Code is supporting investment into emerging minerals.

In Uganda, Humphrey Asiimwe, CEO of the Uganda Chamber of Energy and Minerals, told AMW that the chamber will use the event to promote investment opportunities in gold, graphite and rare earths. The country’s mining sector forms a cornerstone of Uganda’s strategy to increase GDP from $59.3 billion to $500 billion by 2040.

Meanwhile, Amara Kamara, President of the Liberia Chamber of Mines, is expected to highlight reforms aimed at attracting new exploration investment, including plans to establish a national mining company as Liberia targets more than $3 billion in annual mining and energy revenues by 2029.

Regional collaboration will also feature prominently during AMW 2026. Thierry Naweji, Executive Chairman of the SA-DRC Chamber of Commerce, is expected to discuss opportunities to strengthen cooperation between South African and Congolese mining companies as both countries work to build more integrated regional mineral value chains.

With regulatory reforms gathering pace across the continent, AMW 2026 will highlight how chambers of mines are helping translate policy ambitions into investment opportunities, reinforcing their growing role in Africa’s mining development.