Africa’s upstream oil and gas sector is attracting substantial investments, with an $800-billion capital expenditure program focusing on LNG alongside traditional deep-water oil projects currently underway. This investment cycle is expected to boost Africa’s LNG production capacity at a time when global gas demand is on the rise.

Responding to this environment, African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy 2024 will host a two-day Upstream Exploration & Production (E&P) Forum spotlighting Africa’s LNG prospects. The forum will feature a series of strategic sessions and presentations, highlighting major LNG and floating LNG (FLNG) developments and investment opportunities shaping the sector.

AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

Mozambique is at the forefront of Africa’s LNG growth, with the $20-billion Mozambique LNG project led by TotalEnergies set to produce 12.8 million tons of LNG per annum by 2028. Eni’s second FLNG production project in the country – Coral Norte – and ExxonMobil’s Rovuma LNG development are anticipated to reach FID by 2025. The country achieved natural gas sales of $1.7 billion in revenue in 2023, mostly driven by the start up of the Coral Sul FLNG project in November 2022.

The Nigeria LNG (NLNG) Train 7 expansion project is approaching completion, set to boost the country’s LNG capacity by 35%, adding roughly 8 million tons per annum. The project is part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to enhance its LNG production capabilities to meet both local and regional demand. In June 2024, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation signed a Project Development Agreement (PDA) with marine infrastructure company Golar LNG to deploy a FLNG vessel in the offshore Niger Delta region. The PDA plans to monetize 400-500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, producing LNG, LPG and condensate, with FID expected by Q4 2024.

Under the Upstream E&P Forum, a session on The Demand Economics Driving the Growth of African LNG and FLNG will explore Africa’s LNG portfolio, shedding light on supply and demand dynamics and future investment opportunities. Speakers will include Managing Director & General Manager of Eni Rovuma Basin Marica Calabrese, Africa Finance Corporation Vice President Taiwo Okwor, and senior representatives from Golar LNG, Angola LNG, and UTM Offshore.

In West Africa, Equatorial Guinea is also establishing itself as a major LNG player through its Gas Mega Hub (GMH) initiative, which aims to pool regional gas resources to become a central hub for gas processing, liquefaction and distribution. Last October, US oil and gas company Marathon Oil entered into an LNG sales agreement with commodity trader Glencore for Equatorial Guinea’s Alba field, positioning the company for the GMH’s next phase of development. Meanwhile, the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG project, spanning Mauritania and Senegal, is set to reach first production by Q4 2024, with a capacity of 2.3 million tons per year.

In southern Africa, Angola’s LNG market is also growing, launching the second phase of the Falcão natural gas project last December, as well as developing the country’s first non-associated gas development project in Soyo. South Africa’s Virginia Phase 2 project is set to produce commercial quantities of LNG and liquid helium, with a capacity of 670,000 cubic meters of LNG per day. Meanwhile, the country’s Port of Ngqura FLNG project involves the installation of a floating storage and regasification unit, gas-to-power infrastructure, cryogenic pipelines and a terminal for processing, storing, on-site exploitation and distribution of gas acquired from the country’s on- and offshore fields.

A session on The Game Changer: Examining African Gas will outline Africa’s natural gas reserves, production capacities, infrastructure development and export potential, highlighting potential for transitional energy, power generation and diversified growth. The session will feature senior representatives from Equatorial Guinea’s national oil company (NOC) GEPetrol, Seplat Energies, and Mozambican NOC Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos.

With these developments on the horizon, Africa’s leading upstream markets are positioning themselves as key players in the global LNG industry. AEW: Invest in African Energy 2024 will provide a pivotal platform for stakeholders to engage in discussions, forge partnerships and explore new opportunities within Africa’s growing LNG sector.