Boasting an estimated 3.5 billion barrels of oil and producing an average of approximately 149,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2023, South Sudan’s oil sector plays a vital role in the country’s economy. During the forecast period 2022-2027, South Sudan’s oil market is poised to grow at a compound annual rate of 1.5% – rising from 134,000 in 2021 to approximately 160,500 bpd by 2027.

Serving as the sole oil producing nation in East Africa, South Sudan is well-positioned to serve as a facilitator of investment, technology and expertise across the broader regional energy landscape. As such, the country will leverage this year’s South Sudan Oil&Power (SSOP) 2024 conference and exhibition to invite investors to explore and engage with opportunities across the upstream, refining, power generation and mining industries to drive projects and maximize oil production.

Organized by Energy Capital&Power, SSOP 2024 positions South Sudan at the center of investments and partnerships in the East African energy landscape. Taking place in Juba on June 25-28, 2024, the conference and exhibition invites investors to explore and engage with opportunities across the hydrocarbons, renewable energy and power sectors. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Driving Upstream Investment

According to the Ministry of Petroleum – the regulatory body in charge of the country’s oil sector – nearly 90% of South Sudan’s oil and gas reserves remain untapped. As such, through the country’s parastatal Nile Petroleum Corporation (Nilepet), South Sudan aims to attract investment through ongoing or upcoming upstream licensing rounds to boost liquid fuels production for export and for domestic use.

South Sudan launched its first-ever licensing round in 2021, offering five exploration licenses to foreign investors in an attempt to accelerate exploration and production. With a total of 14 available blocks ranging between 4,000 and 25,000km2 in the Muglad Basin, which currently produces approximately 100,000 bpd, the licensing round is set to attract significant investor interest from international companies.

The Muglad Basin produces the highly attractive Nile crude oil blend at Blocks 1, 2A, 2B, 4 and 5A, which boasts medium waxy characteristics that are suitable for refining due to its high fuel and gasoil yields. Meanwhile, South Sudan’s Dar blend, which is a heavy crude oil with a low sulfur content, is produced at Blocks 3 and 7 in the Melut Basin. The country’s third blend, the Fula blend, is a highly acidic crude oil produced at Block 6 in the Muglad Basin, which is processed primarily for domestic use.

Growing International Interest

Major foreign oil companies in South Sudan’s oil sector are based in Asia, with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Malaysia’s Petronas holding large stakes in the country’s petroleum industry.

The leading consortia operating in South Sudan’s oil sector include the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (CNPC, 40%; Petronas, 30%; ONGC, 25%; Nilepet, 5%), the Dar Petroleum Operating Company (CNPC, 41%; Petronas, 40%; Nilepet, 8%; Sinopec, 6%; Tri-Ocean, 5%) and the Sudd Petroleum Operating Company (Petronas, 67.8%; ONGC, 24.2%; Nilepet, 8%).

In February 2024, upstream company Wildcat Petroleum passed a due diligence process in South Sudan, enabling the company to undertake petroleum deals in the country, including large-scale oil production purchases. According to the company’s Chairman Mandhir Singh, Wildcat Petroleum has been invited by the Ministry of Petroleum to visit Juba and enter discussions on current oil production opportunities.

Meanwhile, in June 2023, corporate social investment company the Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF) and Nilepet signed an agreement that will allow South Africa to use South Sudan’s geophysical plans to kick off exploration activities in the highly prospective Block B2 in the Muglad Basin. Under the six-year exploration period, the SFF and Nilepet will launch an aerogravity survey exploration, seismic acquisition and drilling campaign while investing in capacity building initiatives and infrastructure development projects.

Advancing Midstream and Downstream Capabilities

South Sudan has one operational refinery – the Bentiu Refinery – which is situated in the northwest of the country and capable of producing approximately 7,000 bpd. In an effort to drive the country’s downstream capabilities, Nilepet is calling on investors to secure funding for the construction of an oil refinery in Block 5A. The project has amassed a total investment of $29 million, with the refinery’s estimated initial costs currently standing at $3 billion. Completion of the proposed refinery is expected to double the country’s oil production to 350,000 bpd while catering heavy fuel oil to potential markets in Kenya, Uganda and the Republic of the Congo.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

Trident Energy CEO Jean-Michel Jacoulot will speak at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2024 forum in Paris next week, as the leading independent expands its portfolio of operated mature assets across the continent.

Focused on operating and redeveloping mid-life oil and gas assets, Trident Energy is playing a critical role in driving new exploration and maximizing oil production across the continent. In Equatorial Guinea, the company launched its second drilling program last November, performing drilling operations for three deepwater wells in the Ceiba&Okume fields in Block G. Upon completion, Trident Energy will drill the Akeng Deep infrastructure-led well in Block S, targeting 180 million barrels of prospective oil resources, in partnership with Kosmos Energy. Jacoulot is expected to speak on the company’s infrastructure-led exploration strategy and upcoming field redevelopment plans.

IAE 2024 is an exclusive forum designed to foster collaboration between European investors and African energy markets. Taking place May 14-15, 2024, in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors, and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com.

Expanding its presence in Africa’s leading offshore markets, Trident Energy entered the Republic of Congo last month after acquiring Chevron’s working interests in the Moho-Bilondo, Nkossa, Nsoko II and Lianzi fields. Trident also secured additional working interests in the Nkossa and Nsoko II fields from TotalEnergies, assuming operatorship of the two fields and of the Lianzi field. The strategic acquisition represents Trident’s growing focus on Africa’s deep offshore and commitment to acquiring and operating high-quality assets across the continent.

“Trident Energy is proof that Africa’s mature assets can be redeveloped to maximize production and aid in the continent’s energy addition. The company is committed to investing in Africa’s upstream capabilities, translating its technical expertise in the Gulf of Guinea to the Republic of Congo’s deep offshore. We commend Trident on its latest acquisitions and look forward to discussions around exploiting Africa’s deep offshore and fast-tracking development of frontier prospects at the upcoming forum,” says Sandra Jeque, Event&Project Director at Energy Capital&Power, IAE 2024 organizers. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

A dedicated panel discussion – “New Opportunities in Growth Markets” – will showcase burgeoning opportunities in Africa’s key gas markets at the Invest in African Energy Forum (IAE) forum in Paris this month.

The panel will feature Bráulio de Brito, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Service Providers of the Angolan Oil&Gas Industry (AECIPA); Ian Cloke, COO of Afentra; Marica Calebrese, General Manager of Eni Mozambique; and David Pappoe Jr., CEO of Energas West Africa Limited. Justin Cochrane, Director of African Regional Research for S&P Global Commodity Insights, will moderate the discussion.

Organized by Energy Capital&Power, IAE 2024 is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 14-15, 2024 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Emerging gas producers like Angola and Mozambique are redefining their strategies and policies to attract long-term investments, expand gas infrastructure and harness untapped reserves. The panel will unpack plans for expanded gas field development across the continent and spotlight Africa’s current gas monetization strategies, LNG export opportunities and investment prospects across the gas value chain.

As a mature petroleum producer, Angola is seeking to harness its underutilized gas reserves to establish diversified, gas-based industries, aiming to retain 25% of its natural gas production in-country via value-added industries by 2030. The country recently completed its Falcão 2 Gas Project – delivering gas to the Soyo I combined-cycle power plant and increasing gas processing capacity to 125 million cubic feet per day. Last October, the New Gas Consortium kick-started onshore construction of infrastructure to enable the extraction, transportation and storage of gas resources from the Quiluma and Maboqueiro fields, representing the country’s first non-associated gas development. 

As one of the fastest-growing LNG markets globally – having started LNG exports from its Coral Sul facility in November 2022 – Mozambique is seeking new investors to facilitate its gas market expansion. The country is home to two large-scale LNG developments in the Rovuma Basin – TotalEnergies’ Mozambique LNG and ExxonMobil’s Rovuma LNG facilities – set to cement its status as a major global LNG exporter, as the country’s gas export revenues are projected to reach $91.7 billion over the next decade. Last month, the Mozambican Government finalized agreements with China National Offshore Oil Corporation as part of its sixth licensing round for exploration of oil and gas reserves in five offshore blocks.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

As part of its cultural diplomacy program and in celebration of National Heritage Month, the Philippine Embassy in Rabat, in partnership with Kapatiran at Ugnayan ng Natatanging Sining at Talentong Pilipino (KUNST), organized an art lecture and workshop at the Université Internationale de Rabat (UIR) for the students and members of the university art club on 03 May 2024.

The lecture was delivered by Mr. Virgilio Cuizon, a multi-awarded art impresario, a renowned and accomplished Filipino curator, seasoned artist, and a leader of the Filipino community in Germany. He is also the founder and managing director of KUNST, an organization of Filipino artists. 

In his lecture, Mr. Cuizon gave a brief overview of the history of Philippine visual arts, highlighting the important contribution of Filipino artists to the impressionist movement, particularly Juan Luna when he won the 1st Gold Award at the 11th Edition of the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in Madrid in 1884 with his piece Spoliarium.

He also introduced the concept of “Filipinism” to the students, which he described as a unique expression of an artist’s personality and character to form a Filipino identity. It is the aesthetic conceptualization of the artists’ ideas and the infusion of their heart and soul into every piece they create that define “Filipinism”. 

According to Mr. Cuizon, inspiration can emerge from the artists’ childhood environment, their places of origin, and their language or dialect. He believes that these elements contribute to the expression of ‘Filipinism’ in their work.

Following the lecture was a workshop facilitated by visiting artists from the Philippines, namely Lerma Julian, Eric Punzalan, Frederick Epistola, Doy Kastilyo and Yelcast, using oil pastel and felt paper. Participants were keen to learn various drawing and coloring techniques since it was their first time to use this medium. During the workshop, Mr. Cuizon encouraged the students to create a piece that would reflect their values and their identity as Moroccans. 

One of the participants drew a teapot as a symbol of her childhood memories and her identity as a Moroccan.

As tokens of appreciation, the artists presented souvenir artworks to all the participants which were warmly received. 

The Filipino artists are in Morocco for the Viaje 3 Filipinism What Makes Art Filipino exhibition which will run from 6 to 15 May 2024 at the Abla Ababou Gallery in Rabat. This is the first exhibition from Asian artists mounted by the gallery since it opened its doors in 2017. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines.