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.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 20, 2026/APO Group/ –Mozambique’s gas sector is entering its most active phase in a decade. Large-scale LNG projects are back in the development pipeline, domestic gas-to-power infrastructure is expanding and the government is pursuing renewable energy targets alongside its upstream ambitions.

 




  

A dedicated session at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, titled “Invest in Mozambique: Unleashing Africa’s Premier Gas and Upstream Exploration Frontier,” will explore how these developments are reshaping the country’s energy and investment landscape.

The session comes at a pivotal moment for the country’s gas sector. In January 2026, TotalEnergies announced the full restart of the Mozambique LNG project after a nearly five-year suspension. More than 4,000 workers are now mobilized, $4 billion in contracts have been awarded to Mozambican companies and first LNG is targeted for 2029. The project represents a total investment of roughly $20 billion and will produce 12.9 mtpa from the Area 1 concession in the Rovuma Basin.

Additional LNG projects are advancing across the country. Eni reached a final investment decision in October 2025 on the $6 billion to $7 billion Coral North floating LNG project, which will add 3.6 mtpa from 2028 alongside the already operational Coral South. ExxonMobil’s $24 billion Rovuma LNG project has passed a front-end engineering milestone and is moving toward a final investment decision. Together, the three developments could bring Mozambique’s combined LNG capacity above 25 mtpa by the early 2030s.

The gas-to-power dimension is equally important for closing the country’s electrification gap. Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos is working to strengthen domestic pipeline and logistics infrastructure so that Rovuma Basin gas can serve Mozambique as well as its international customers. The government has made clear that it expects the gas sector to contribute to the country’s industrialization, not only through export revenues but through job creation, the development of local suppliers and expanded energy access for Mozambican households and businesses.

Mozambique also holds significant renewable energy potential, adding another layer to the conversation happening at AEW 2026. Hydropower already accounts for roughly 70% of the country’s electricity generation – anchored by the 2,075 MW Cahora Bassa plant – and the government’s Just Energy Transition Strategy targets an additional 2 to 4 GW of hydropower and 2 GW of solar by 2030. Utility-scale solar tenders are advancing, and off-grid solutions are central to the target of universal electrification by the end of the decade.

“For years we talked about Mozambique’s gas potential in the future tense. With Mozambique LNG restarted, Coral North going forward and Rovuma LNG moving toward a final investment decision, the conversation has changed,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “This is now about delivery, and AEW 2026 is where the industry will take stock of what that means for the country and the continent.”

This dedicated Mozambique investment session will take place as part of AEW 2026 in Cape Town from October 12-16.

 

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.