From major gas and offshore developments to Angolan-led exploration, industrial capacity and local supplier development, the 2026 winners reflected the breadth of investment underway across the country’s oil and gas value chain.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Aníbal Octávio Teixeira da Silva

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Aníbal Octávio Teixeira da Silva for his contributions to Angola’s oil and gas transformation over the past three decades. As Vice Minister of Petroleum in 2003 – reappointed in 2008 – he led the country through a period of significant growth, championing licensing, investment and the Angolanization initiative while strengthening Angola’s international standing. He also supported the development of major oilfields, including Dalia, Greater Plutonio and Pazflor, while facilitating the launch of projects such as Angola LNG.

Game Changer of the Year: Azule Energy

Azule Energy secured the Game Changer of the Year award following two major project milestones. The company achieved first gas from Angola’s first non-associated gas development, opening a new chapter for LNG supply and domestic gas utilization, while reaching FID on the $5.1 billion Greater PAJ project, Angola’s first integrated cross-block offshore oil development.

Explorer of the Year: Sonangol

National oil company Sonangol was named Explorer of the Year following the successful appraisal of the Katambi-2 well in Block 24 in the Benguela Basin. The campaign delivered Angola’s first full drill stem test on a non-associated gas reservoir, strengthening the case for a potentially significant new gas development and highlighting the growing role of exploration in expanding Angola’s gas resource base.

Local Company of the Year: Etu Energias

Etu Energias received the Local Company of the Year award following another year of Angolan-led upstream expansion. At Block 2/05, the company’s Espadarte 7ST2 appraisal encountered eight productive intervals and delivered rates of 2,500 barrels per day. Combined with its new interests in Blocks 14 and 14K, the milestones are expanding Etu Energias’ production base and strengthening indigenous participation in Angola’s upstream sector.

CSR Initiative of the Year: Block 17 Partners

Angola’s Block 17 Partners – led by TotalEnergies alongside ExxonMobil, Equinor, Azule Energy and Sonangol – won the CSR Initiative of the Year for advancing the MUNGU Program. Focused on technical capacity building, business mentorship and SME development, the program is strengthening the competitiveness of Angolan suppliers and supporting greater national participation across the oil and gas value chain.

National Service Company of the Year: Petromar

Petromar – the joint venture between Sonangol and Saipem – was named National Service Company of the Year for its contribution to the landmark Kaminho development. The company completed protective structures for the Kaminho FPSO, placing Angolan industrial capability at the center of one of the country’s biggest upcoming deepwater projects and demonstrating the growing technical capacity of the domestic services sector.

Downstream Player of the Year: Cabinda Refinery

The Cabinda Refinery secured the Downstream Player of the Year award following the start of commercial operations in 2026. As Angola’s first refinery built in the post-independence era, the facility represents a major step in the country’s drive to expand domestic processing capacity, reduce dependence on imported refined products and establish a more integrated downstream industry.

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.

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.