Following three successful editions that united a strong slate of players from across the regional and global energy landscape, the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) conference and exhibition makes its return in 2023 for its fourth edition, bringing together African energy and petroleum ministers, global investors and thought-leaders and project developers and service companies to discuss the future of Angolan energy.
Building on the event’s long-standing partnership with Angola’s Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas and national oil company Sonangol, AOG 2023 is the place to sign deals and accelerate the growth of the country’s multi-faceted energy industry.
AOG 2023 comes at a time when Angola’s energy sector is on the precipice of yet another transformation. On the oil front, the country is making strides towards cementing its position as one of Africa’s biggest producers through a series of ambitious exploration campaigns led by the likes of TotalEnergies, Sonangol, ExxonMobil, Chevron and many other major players.
The country’s three major basins – Kwanza, Namibe and Lower Congo – hold significant development opportunities with recently implemented tax incentives, potential licensing rounds and new partnership opportunities opening up the upstream space even further.
Downstream, the country is prioritizing the scaling up of its refining capacity to meet both domestic and regional demand. With upgrades to the Luanda refinery underway as well as three new facilities under construction – Cabinda, Soyo and Lobito – Angola is cementing its position as a regional supplier, made even more effective through the leveraging of cross-border trade systems such as the Central African Pipeline System and the Angola-Zambia pipeline.
In addition to oil, Angola is making a strong play for natural gas monetization through the development of the Angola Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project led by Chevron; the Quiluma/Maboqueiro gas fields by Azule Energy; the Cameia-Golfinho project led by TotalEnergies; and the Sanha Lean Gas project developed by Chevron, among others.
Plans are also underway to maximize gas for power generation purposes with the development of a second combined cycle plant for Soyo that will produce 500 MW in addition to the existing 720 MW Soyo I project constructed by engineering firm the China Machinery Engineering Corporation.
While the country’s oil and gas markets continue to expand, the renewable energy market is also seeing a transformation owing to heightened investment by regional and global players.
Representing a relatively untapped market and yet holding significant potential, players to the likes of TotalEnergies are diversifying portfolios to include solar energy with projects such as the Quilemba solar power station while companies such as Novonor, Andtriz Hydro, Voith and GE Renewable, and many others are capitalizing on the country’s over 100 hydro locations identified by the Ministry of Energy and Water with projects such as the 960 MW Cambambe I and 700 MW Cambambe II facilities, as well as the Lauca hydroelectric power plant in Kwanza Norte Province. As the energy transition intensifies, opportunities for green energy players are expected to grow exponentially.
Stepping into this picture, the AOG 2023 conference will drive deals and partnerships while accelerating developments across the entire Angolan energy value chain. With three important deals signed during last year’s edition, advanced networking opportunities ensure the trend of investing in Angola not only continues but is accelerated.
Last year, deals were signed between Angola’s National Agency for Oil, Gas and Biofuels and Sierra Leone’s Petroleum Directorate; the respective energy ministries of Angola and Namibia; as well as the ministries of Equatorial Guinea and the DRC. During AOG 2023, this trend will only continue.
Speaking at AOG 2022, Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, H.E. Diamantino Azevedo, stated that, “During the third edition of this event we showed that Angola is on the right path.
I believe that these three editions have given to our country a positive contribution in order to enrich the way we think about the industry and share experiences so that we can learn and improve our program for the enrichment of this sector.
I think this event created an opportunity for us to reflect on the present and the future of the hydrocarbon industry, as well as the role that it will play going forward.”
With a focus on infrastructure and onshore prospects, as well as the renewable, local content and technology sectors, this year’s edition will feature a strong lineup of speakers from across the global energy landscape. Covering key themes from oil and gas to renewables to power and technology to local content, the conference invites existing and potential energy players to capitalize on Angolan opportunities.
“We can contribute towards and improve the infrastructure in our country, and we can also be the principal actors of the so-called energy transition, which may be spearheaded by our hydrocarbon industry.
I would like to assure you that investing in our country will result in win-win relationships and I would like to invite you to come back to Angola,” H.E. Minister Azevedo concluded at AOG 2022.
