CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 4, 2026/APO Group/ –The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org) signed a wide-ranging Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last week in Caracas with the Ministry of People’s Power for Hydrocarbons of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA). The agreement establishes a structured framework for long-term collaboration across the full hydrocarbon value chain.

 

The agreement, signed at the culmination of a high-level working visit, sets in motion clear implementation mechanisms, including a Joint Working Group to define project pipelines, work plans and progress metrics. The MoU articulates coordinated outreach, joint studies and investment-ready frameworks while committing to structured capacity-building initiatives.

“This visit was about moving from conversation to coordination. The MoU we signed in Caracas is not a symbolic agreement – it is a working framework that aligns Africa and Venezuela around concrete investment, trade and training priorities. What we built this week is the foundation for sustained collaboration,” said NJ Ayuk, AEC Executive Chairman.

Structured Hydrocarbon Partnership

The MoU followed productive engagements between the AEC delegation and Venezuela’s petroleum leadership, where officials charted a 12-month action plan to accelerate hydrocarbon rehabilitation, gas development and cross-continental capital flows. Meetings included Venezuela’s Deputy Minister of Hydrocarbon Geopolitics, Deputy Minister of Gas, and PDVSA executives – all conveying a strategic intent to revitalize Venezuela’s oil and gas sector with targeted investor participation and clear regulatory models.

The plan identifies priority areas such as mature field workovers in the Faja del Orinoco, refinery modernization at Paraguaná and El Palito, gas commercialization and mechanisms to facilitate African operator entry via Production Participation Contracts and joint venture structures. Importantly, discussions extended into trade finance and structured LPG and bitumen flows to African markets, opening immediate avenues for South-South commercial energy supply chains.

Practical Trade and Reciprocal Investment

A focal point of the visit was advancing practical trade and investment cooperation between Africa and Venezuela, anchored in mutual economic and energy imperatives. Discussions over the course of the week emphasized that both regions face similar challenges – energy poverty, infrastructure bottlenecks and the need for industrial value addition. Rather than transactional engagements, the aim was to build longer-term institutional alignment that supports bilateral trade flows, joint ventures and shared technical platforms.

Venezuela’s enormous hydrocarbon endowment – including roughly 300 billion barrels of oil reserves and significant gas resources – presents a complementary opportunity for African energy firms with deepwater, heavy crude and gas expertise. African companies were encouraged to explore upstream and downstream opportunities, with the AEC positioned as a facilitator of entry points and partnership structures.

Training Pathways

Beyond commercial deals, the visit foregrounded human capital development and training cooperation as a strategic pillar of the emerging partnership. Meetings with institutions including the Universidad Venezolana de los Hidrocarburos laid the groundwork for structured technical and executive training programs targeting African professionals. These initiatives aim to deepen operational know-how, bolster regulatory competence and reinforce local content objectives across African markets.

This emphasis on skill exchange reflects a deeper recognition: sustainable energy development requires not only capital and infrastructure but also robust institutional capacities. The AEC committed to frameworks supporting long-term training exchanges that will benefit petroleum engineers, geoscientists and industry leaders from both regions.

From Caracas to Cape Town

All of these outcomes from the Caracas visit resonate directly with the broader themes of African Energy Week (AEW) – the annual platform where ministers, national oil companies, investors and service providers align on policy, investment and industrial strategies. AEW’s agenda centers on catalyzing deals and fostering partnerships – priorities the Venezuela engagement advances through structured cooperation, shared investment roadmaps and deepened South-South trade corridors.

By anchoring this partnership in measurable commitments and multi-layered cooperation, the AEC’s Venezuela mission reinforces Africa’s expanding footprint in global energy diplomacy – one that looks beyond traditional North-South paradigms toward a more multipolar, mutually beneficial energy future.

PARAMARIBO, Suriname, March 3, 2026/APO Group/ –Minister of Oil, Gas and Environment of Suriname, Patrick Brunings, will deliver a keynote address at Caribbean Energy Week (CEW) 2026, taking place March 30-April 1 in Paramaribo, Suriname. Minister Brunings’ participation is one of the most anticipated contributions to this year’s agenda, bringing firsthand insight into Suriname’s accelerating energy sector transformation and regional collaboration initiatives.

 

Suriname is rapidly positioning itself as a significant player in the Caribbean’s energy landscape amid a series of deepwater discoveries and expanding upstream activity. The Guyana–Suriname basin has yielded a string of major hydrocarbon finds, with TotalEnergies and partners advancing the GranMorgu project in Block 58 – expected to deliver first oil by 2028 from an estimated 750 million barrels of recoverable reserves. These developments, backed by multi‑billion‑dollar capital commitments, signal a transition from exploration to phased production and infrastructure buildout. At least ten additional wells are anticipated offshore between 2025 and 2027, highlighting the basin’s continued exploration momentum.

 

In recent months, Suriname’s energy strategy has also extended into natural gas opportunities. Minister Brunings confirmed plans to establish a joint technical team with neighboring Guyana to evaluate combined gas resources and infrastructure scenarios, potentially expanding the scope of regional energy cooperation and unlocking broader investment prospects.

 

In recent statements, Minister Brunings has expressed both enthusiasm for Suriname’s prospects and caution about managing the sector’s growth responsibly. In late 2025, he underscored the need for structural economic transformation – what he described as accelerating toward “Suriname 3.0” – with a focus on preparedness for incoming investments and ensuring that offshore developments deliver sustainable benefits for the country’s economy.

 

His participation at CEW 2026 will provide industry and investment audiences with direct insight into Suriname’s evolving regulatory environment, resource plans and regional integration aspirations. As the country prepares to host its first major regional energy summit, Minister Brunings is expected to outline policy frameworks designed to attract foreign capital while strengthening local capacity and environmental stewardship.

 

“Sustainable and inclusive development is at the heart of Suriname’s energy vision, and Caribbean Energy Week,” said Sandra Jeque, International Conference Director at Energy Capital & Power. “Minister Brunings’ keynote will be invaluable for delegates seeking a clearer understanding of how Suriname intends to leverage its resource potential, foster cross‑border cooperation and balance growth with responsible stewardship.”

 

Caribbean Energy Week will convene policymakers, investors and industry leaders to discuss licensing rounds, financing models and energy transition pathways as the Caribbean region – led by frontier producers like Suriname – reshapes its role in global energy markets.

 

Join us in shaping the future of Caribbean energy. To participate in this landmark event, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States of America, March 2, 2026/APO Group/ –U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright will return to Powering Africa Summit (PAS), taking place in Washington, D.C. on 19-20 March 2026, where he will take part in a fireside chat focused on energy access and clean cooking.

 

Having provided a keynote address and participated in a fireside chat at the 10^th anniversary PAS 2025, Secretary Wright will again join policymakers and industry leaders at this year’s Summit to discuss US-Africa cooperation across energy infrastructure, critical minerals and investment strategies.

Building on last year’s focus, ‘The Future of the US & Africa Energy Partnership’, PAS 2026 will analyse how US foreign policy is transforming under the current administration, including through investment-led commercial diplomacy.

Within this year’s theme, ‘Powering the US-Africa Partnership: Energy Infrastructure, Critical Minerals & Investment Strategies’, a spotlight will be shone on progress since PAS 2025, and the role of reciprocal agreements in advancing critical minerals development and increasing trade between the US and Africa.

Some of the Summit’s key sessions will explore large scale infrastructure investment, guarantees and financing, and how gas strategies between the US and Africa are increasing energy security and bilateral trade, with several senior government leaders set to attend, including:

• H.E. Honourable Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Vice President, Liberia
• H.E. Honourable Dr. Eng. Habtamu Itefa Geleta, Minister of Water & Energy, Ethiopia
• H.E. Honourable John Abdulai Jinapor, Minister for Energy & Green Transition, Ghana

Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will be in attendance to provide welcome remarks at the summit, alongside Adam Cortese – CEO of renewable energy solutions specialist Sun Africa – who will provide the summit sponsor welcome address.

Cortese commented: “Sun Africa is proud to sponsor the Powering Africa Summit 2026 at this transformative time for US-Africa energy collaboration. Secretary Wright’s continued leadership and engagement underscore the growing commitment to practical, investment-driven solutions that expand energy access and unlock opportunities in critical minerals and infrastructure. We look forward to meaningful dialogue with ministers, policymakers, and industry partners to advance win-win initiatives grounded in pragmatism and profitability, ensuring sustainable success that will withstand the test of time.”

Senior representatives from other leading global organisations, agencies and institutions include:

• John Jovanovic, Chairman, U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM)
• Nicholas Checker, Senior Bureau Official, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State
• Thomas Hardy, Deputy Director & COO, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)
• Daniel Petrie, Acting Chief of Staff, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)
• Nancy Rivera, MD, U.S. International Development Finance Group (DFC)

Simon Gosling, Managing Director of EnergyNet, commented: “We’re delighted to be back for the 11th Powering Africa summit in Washington DC next month, and of course to be welcoming Energy Secretary Chris Wright back to the Summit to meet with stakeholders and to discuss the future of US/Africa relations. At last year’s Summit the Secretary talked about America’s [all of government approach] to partnering with African nations, and we’re pleased to have confirmed such a broad, high level representation from across State, Energy, Exim, DFC, MCC and Commerce to provide those necessary insights into the Trump Administration policies…”

Alongside Summit Sponsor Sun Africa, Petrodex joins as the Lead Sponsor, Genesis Energy as the Networking App Sponsor, and Lagos State Office of Works as the African Government Partner. Other sponsors include Endeavor Energy, Denham Capital, Mission 300 and HYDRO-LINK. Associate Sponsors include Absa, Alliant, Allied Talent Partners, A&O Shearman, Nant Power, NRECA International and McDermott, Will & Schulte.