According to World Bank report, the economy of Africa will experience a 5.3% growth by the end of 2011, thereby becoming the second most promising economy in the world after that of Asia. Most of the growth expected in Africa will come from revenues that will emanate from the oil and gas sector, especially from Sub-Saharan Africa.  Increase in activities in the gas sector and deep water field development are envisioned to be part of the boosters of the economic growth.

 Africa has about 117.482 billion barrels potential reserves of oil and 14.58 trillion cubic meter of gas reserves.   Out of the 14.58 Tcm of gas reserves in Africa, about 147.2 Trillion cubic feet of gas are embedded in Sub-Saharan Africa. The region is under-explored and no major gas exploration campaign has taken place there.  Apart from accidental discoveries of gas during oil exploration (associated gas), special attention has not been paid to exploration of gas and development of gas fields in the region. And out of this volume of gas about 1,837 billion cubic feet is produced per year, 1,313 Bcf of gas flared or vented per year, 203 gas re-injected/year and about 308 Bcf/year is pushed into the market  for local consumption and export.

  The salient question becomes: firstly, why flare and vent 1,313 Bcf of gas which is money wasted that would have enhanced economic growth in the region?  Sub-Saharan Africa loses about USD 3 billion annually through gas flaring. Secondly, why threaten the environmental with global warming by increasing large emission of greenhouses gases into the atmosphere through gas flaring?

 Today Sub-Saharan African countries are poised to grow their economies and get rid of ‘Dutch disease’ by commercializing gas in the region, also known as gas monetization and reduce threats to the environment.  Various governments in the region are coming up with diverse policies to meet up their goals for gas monetization, putting an end to gas flaring, and increasing exploration and gas development.  Therefore, there is high potential of establishing a lucrative gas market in the region.

 The envisaged growth in the gas sector goes together with the expected increase in deep water development in sub-Saharan Africa amid latest discoveries, opening of new frontiers in East, Central, West and Southern African countries. Development of marginal and deep water fields that take place offshore far   which are often very far from living areas are guaranteed havens that will spike up daily productions and trigger equitable growth in a win-win manner.  Understanding new petroleum laws, local content policies, guaranteeing adequate technologies – both conventional and disruptive, finance and sustainable human capital are important in succeeding in the blossoming deep water operations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The 5^th Annual Sub-Saharan Africa Oil & Gas Conference which will take place from April 26 – 27, 2012, in Houston will bring together national oil companies from the region, government officials, big, small –medium independent oil companies, investors, financial institutions and all stakeholders in the industry will play out in two parts along with panel sessions.

 A.  Gas Monetization:

 v     The future of gas in the global energy mix

v     Potentials and  strategies for developing gas market (local & export)

v     Gas focused exploration campaign and field development

v     Analysis of gas reserves in the region

v     Issues and challenges in developing gas market in Sub-Saharan Africa

v     Petroleum laws and local content policies

v     Risk management and geopolitical issues

v     Project financing and debt structuring

v     Challenges of technologies in gas field development

v     Gas utilization for power generation

v     LNG, LPG

v     Fertilizer

v     Infrastructures

v     Environmental policies and regulations

v     West African Gas pipeline & Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline – State and Future

Panel discussion:   “From Waste to Riches: Stopping gas flaring”

          Issues and challenges in stopping gas flaring  in Sub-Saharan Africa

• The position of national governments  and role of politics
• The readiness of international Oil Companies
• Private sector interest
• Environmental threats
• Global  and local environmental policies
• Turning waste to money -  need for gas monetization
• Developing large and small fields
• Technology & capitalization

B. Deep water fields exploration and development:

v     The state and future of deep water exploration in the emerging market

v     Challenges and issues of field development

v     Petroleum laws

v     Conventional / non-conventional technologies

v     Process methodologies

v     Project financing

v     Risk management

v     Environmental and safety issues

Panel discussion:  “Petroleum Laws and impact on deep water oil field development.”

Who will attend this conference:

       National oil company executives, senior government officials, and  policy makers

      International and local oil company executives, top management and decision makers

      Senior geophysicists, geologists, petroleum engineers and industry top players

      Business development executives and new venture managers

      Lawyers, consultants and local content experts

      Project finance experts, bankers and senior investment officers

      Market analysts, researchers and academics with interest in the industry

      Non Governmental Organizations

      Any stakeholder in the oil and gas industry

At present, Energy & Corporate Africa, the organizers of the conference are calling for papers, sponsorship and participation.

Contact Information:

 Lydia Lawrence

Event Manager

Energy & Corporate Africa

10103 Fondren Road, Suite 321

Houston, Texas 77096, USA

Tel: + (713) 271 7778 Fax: +(713) 271 7773

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

            This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Website: www.energycorporateafrica.com

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