Taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town, AEW 2026 will bring together governments, national oil companies, investors and industry leaders from across the continent. For SNH, the partnership comes as Cameroon advances projects extending well beyond conventional upstream activity, from new refining infrastructure and gas development to cross-border energy cooperation.

A major focus is the CSTAR refinery and tank farm project in Kribi, which SNH describes as a strategic component of the transformation of Cameroon’s petroleum sector. The planned refinery will have a capacity of 30,000 barrels per day and is being developed near the Kribi Deep Sea Port. Following board meetings in Dubai in May, SNH said the CSTAR entities reviewed operational and financial priorities and adopted resolutions aimed at implementing the planned infrastructure at the Mboro site, with the company positioning the development as part of efforts to strengthen Cameroon’s petroleum infrastructure and energy sovereignty.

Gas development is another area where SNH is pursuing opportunities with regional implications. In February, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea signed a unitization agreement covering the Yoyo-Yolanda transboundary gas field, following years of negotiations. SNH and Equatorial Guinea’s GEPETROL signed the agreement alongside Chevron, which is involved in the project. SNH has described the field as holding an estimated 2.5 trillion cubic feet of gas, with the development concept including two export pipelines and separate processing facilities at Bipaga in Cameroon and Punta Europa in Equatorial Guinea.

The agreement illustrates the regional dimension of Cameroon’s hydrocarbons strategy, while also highlighting SNH’s role as the state’s implementing arm in energy-sector development. The company’s mandate covers the promotion of the national petroleum and gas domain, negotiation and monitoring of petroleum and gas contracts, commercialization of the state’s hydrocarbons and development of gas projects for power generation, domestic use and exports.

At the same time, Cameroon is seeking to reinvigorate its upstream sector. SNH launched a new promotion cycle for nine free blocks in August 2025, spanning the Douala-Kribi-Campo and Rio del Rey basins, with the company reporting in June 2026 that the results of the call for expressions of interest had been published.

“SNH represents the kind of African national energy institution that is increasingly important to the continent’s next investment cycle,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “Its role extends from resource promotion and commercialization to major infrastructure and regional gas projects, creating multiple entry points for investors, technology providers and financial partners. As a Platinum Partner, SNH will bring Cameroon’s broader energy ambitions directly to the companies and institutions shaping Africa’s energy future.”

With its participation at AEW 2026, SNH will have an opportunity to engage investors across the full hydrocarbons value chain – from exploration and production to refining, gas monetization, logistics and regional cooperation – while positioning Cameroon as a market for projects that can translate its existing resource base into greater domestic and regional value.

This strategic move builds on ECP’s growing network of operators, investors, financial institutions and technology companies in Houston, the world’s energy capital. The new base will strengthen ECP’s ability to connect U.S. capital, expertise and technology with projects and investment opportunities across Africa, South America and the Caribbean.

ECP has been hosting industry and investment-focused events in Houston since 2021, including the U.S.-Africa Energy Forum, and has built a growing network across the city’s energy and investment community. Most recently, more than 700 people attended the Venezuela Energy Week Houston Showcase in August 2026, bringing together companies, investors and industry leaders to examine Venezuela’s emerging energy and investment opportunities. The series of engagements has helped establish the city as an important hub for ECP’s global growth strategy.

The Houston base will support ECP’s expanding portfolio across South America and the Caribbean. ECP’s events portfolio includes Venezuela Energy Week, which brings international investors, operators and service companies together around opportunities across Venezuela’s oil, gas, power and infrastructure sectors; and Caribbean Energy Week, which connects governments, investors and developers around investment opportunities across the region’s evolving energy landscape.

“ECP has built strong relationships in Houston through our events and roadshows over the past five years, and establishing a permanent presence allows us to deepen that engagement. As our activities grow in the Americans and Africa, Houston gives us a strategic base from which to connect international opportunities with U.S. capital, technology and expertise,” states James Chester, CEO, ECP.

The Houston presence forms part of ECP’s broader international expansion strategy, complementing its operations in Africa and growing presence in Europe. The company recently established its UK entity in London, reinforcing its ability to deliver world-class energy and mining events in the UK and Europe.

The move also comes as ECP scales its global reach through a series of investment platforms that connect global capital to energy and mining projects. Key platforms include Angola Oil & Gas; MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power; African Mining Week; Libya Energy & Economic Summit; Congo Energy & Investment Forum; and South Sudan Oil & Power. These platforms are complemented by investor forums, licensing-round roadshows and other capital-focused engagements that ECP has hosted since 2016, creating direct channels between governments, project developers, operators and international investors.

The deal provides the Atlantic Margins explorer’s partner with one of the Orange Basin’s largest exploration blocks. The frontier region has drawn major industry players including Shell, TotalEnergies, bp, and Galp since play-opening discoveries offshore Namibia started transforming the area’s upstream landscape in 2022.

The African Energy Chamber (AEC) welcomes the completion of Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas’ farm-down in Block 1 CBK. As the voice of the African energy sector, the Chamber views the transaction as an important step in advancing exploration and unlocking the country’s significant offshore oil and gas potential.

Completed on September 22 following South African regulatory approvals, the transaction transfers operatorship of the 19,929-km² block to Navitas. Eco retains a 37.5% interest, while local partner OrangeBasin Energies maintains 25%. Eco received $4 million in cash and will be carried by Navitas for up to $7.5 million of its share of the work program.

Block 1 CBK sits within the Orange Basin, one of Africa’s most active frontier exploration areas, directly adjacent to Namibia and close to recent discoveries by Galp Energia, TotalEnergies, Rhino Resources and Shell. Three legacy wells have already confirmed a gas discovery with tested flow rates of 32.4 million standard cubic feet per day.

“South Africa has an opportunity to turn its offshore resource potential into investment, energy security, jobs and economic growth,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, AEC. “Partnerships that combine international capital and technical expertise with local participation can help move these resources toward development while creating wider opportunities across the African energy value chain.”

An August 2026 review by Eco and Navitas estimated more than 3.6 billion barrels of unrisked prospective oil resources and approximately 4.5 trillion cubic feet of prospective gas resources on Block 1 CBK. The partners are continuing advanced interpretation and reprocessing of existing seismic data to identify prospects and potential drilling targets, with the farm-down carrying Eco’s share of a work program that includes two planned exploration wells.

The transaction also demonstrates how farm-downs can distribute exploration risk while preserving exposure to high-impact African resources. Navitas assumes operational responsibility and expenditure commitments, while Eco retains substantial upside. If the existing option with OrangeBasin Energies is exercised in full and Navitas acquires half of the additional interest, Eco and Navitas would each hold 47.5% with OrangeBasin Energies retaining 5%.

For South Africa, successful exploration could support domestic oil and gas supply, attract international investment and generate demand for local services, technology and expertise. The project also forms part of a broader Orange Basin exploration story spanning South Africa and Namibia, reinforcing the region’s growing importance within Africa’s upstream landscape.

The AEC supports continued collaboration between government, international operators, African companies and financial and technical partners to advance Block 1 CBK. As Navitas assumes operatorship, the project provides an opportunity to convert substantial geological potential into exploration activity, investment and, ultimately, energy and economic value for South Africa and the continent.