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Indigenous companies continue to gain prominence in Nigeria as international majors divest shares across assets in the region

Eni recently secured all the necessary approvals from Nigerian authorities for the sale of its subsidiary Agip Energy and Natural Resources (Nigeria) Limited (AENR) to Apex Global Energy Limited (APEX), a company wholly owned by Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Ltd (Sterling), one of Nigeria’s leading operators in the onshore sector

AENR, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eni, holds interests in shallow water hydrocarbon exploration and production in Nigeria, holding a 5% share in the Renaissance JV (Renaissance 30%, operator; TotalEnergies 10%; and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited 55%).

The move is driven by Eni's shift of focus to deepwater assets, including Nigeria LNG, as it takes a step back from acreages it considers non strategic as AENR, which is known for its onshore presence in the region.

Meanwhile, TotalEnergies has announced that its subsidiary TotalEnergies EP Nigeria (TEPNG) has completed the divestment of its 10% non-operated interest in the Renaissance JV licenses to Vaaris for an aggregate amount of US$800mn.

The company, however, retains full economic interest in the three gas licenses of the Renaissance JV (OML 23, OML 28 and OML 77), which currently account for 50% of Nigeria LNG gas supply.

Energy data and intelligence provider, TGS, has partnered with Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), to initiate a large-scale 2D seismic reimaging campaign, the EGY-2DRE2026 project 

The survey will span across 34,000 kms offshore Egypt, which will be further integrated to the GeoStreamer 2016, 2018 and 2023 surveys. The compilation will comprise other available conventional 2D data as well, building single and consistent regional framework for interested operators to refer to across the offshore basins. The vast and insightful dataset will be fed into an advanced velocity model building and pre-stack depth migration workflow, including TGS' proprietary DM-eFWI technology, to generate credible images of pre-, intra- and post-Messinian salt intervals in high definition. 

The reimaged dataset that spans offshore Nile Delta, Herodotus Basin, and wider Eastern Mediterranean Basin will support clients to better resolve these intervals, giving a sharper, basin-wide structural framework to support prospect identification and maturation. This will play a significant role in decision making for operators to channelise exploration budgets in the right direction ahead of upcoming licensing rounds.

To support resource development, TGS has lately been taking up region-specific projects in Africa that aligns with a rising global demand for basin-wide reimaging and data integration across frontier and mature basins globally.

Final products for a priority subset of 2D lines are scheduled for delivery in Q2 2027, with the remaining full project scheduled for completion in Q1 2028.

"EGY-2DRE2026 will give our customers a modern, regionally consistent view of a basin that has historically been difficult to image beneath its complex Messinian section," said David Hajovsky, Executive Vice President, Multi-Client at TGS. "By combining our latest imaging technology with the depth and breadth of our existing coverage, we're able to de-risk exploration decisions and support our customers as they evaluate future opportunities in this highly prospective part of the Egyptian offshore."

The project is supported by industry funding.

Oil and gas industry network Subsea Wireless Group (SWiG) has released a new industry specification for free-space optical communications, providing a common protocol for modems from different manufacturers

SWiGoptical Level 1 defines a simple protocol to satisfy interoperability and interchangeability requirements for subsea free-space optical communication devices. It supports applications including, but not limited to, process control, equipment and process monitoring, diagnostics and maintenance, and data exchange and harvesting across autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and other connected subsea systems.

Systems working together

SWiG, a joint industry project (JIP) managed by OTM Networks (part of R&D consultancy Sagentia Innovation), was established to enable vehicles, infrastructure and equipment from different suppliers to work together seamlessly. It has 27 members representing all parts of the supply chain, from major energy operators to subsea service providers and integrators to specialist instrumentation companies. Its objectives include:

• Promote interoperability between users of subsea wireless communications.
• Raise industry awareness and acceptance of subsea wireless communications.
• Identify areas (within subsea wireless communications) where open standards are needed, and develop them.
• Encourage the integration of subsea wireless communication technologies.
• Share best practices across the industry.
• Promote knowledge transfer across the industry.

Shreekant Mehta, senior vice president, Energy Sector at Sagentia Innovation, said SWiGoptical Level 1 represents an important step towards optical modem interoperability for subsea systems.

“SWiG’s goal is to create a common subsea ecosystem where devices from different manufacturers interact seamlessly,” Mehta explained. “As subsea communication technologies continue to mature, a collaborative approach to developing open standards supports cost management and provides a common framework, reducing deployment risk, simplifying integration and supporting scalability. Achieving interoperability across subsea operations is essential if the industry is to realise the full benefits of autonomy.”

The new specification builds on the earlier SWiGacoustic standard and is the latest in a family of complementary SWiG standards that also cover radio frequency (RF), inductive data and power and hybrid communications. SWiGoptical Level 1 is now available to the wider industry, with Level 2 and Level 3 specifications for higher-performance protocols already under development.

Tanzania is working to build a national infrastructure around the commercial Ntorya gas discovery to boost domestic supply of natural gas

Industrial players in the region, ARA Petroleum Tanzania and Aminex are driving this development as joint venture partners. Following extensive seismic surveys and commercial appraisal, the project is ready for execution. With major financial commitments secured and civil infrastructure nearing completion, work programmes have been initiated to unlock the field's resource potential, strengthen local energy security, and transition from appraisal into commercial production.

Capital outlay and work programme approval

Aminex's subsidiary, Ndovu Resources Limited, and ARA Petroleum Tanzania Limited have approved work programmes for the current and following years, projecting gross expenditure of up to US$75mn during the period.

In Ntorya-2 (NT-2), the joint venture has plans for removal of bridge plugs followed by well testing in November 2026 before production can begin in December 2026. Flowlines will be constructed to activate the Ntorya-Madimba pipeline before production commences. TPDC has confirmed that approximately 95% of pipelaying and infilling work is done. The contract for the supply of the gas processing unit (GPU) is expected to be signed later this month.

Ntorya-1 will undergo wellhead maintenance and slickline operations in October 2026 to determine the next steps, including the prospects of a rig-operated workover. A workover after the drilling of the Ntorya-Central well may affect gas production schedules. 

Negotiations are now at a very advanced stage to contract a drilling rig to drill a well at the NT-C location. The contract is expected to be signed in October 2026 with the well scheduled to be spudded in December 2026 as Ntorya-3 (NT-3). If successful, NT-3 will be tied into the Ntorya development with first gas from the well available in September 2027. 

Potential well appraisals

The results of the NT-3 well will determine if the joint venture wants to use the option available to drill up to two additional appraisal/development wells - NT-E and NT-W - on a back-to-back basis, following the completion of operations on NT-3 and, if required, NT-1. 

An obligatory well called Chikumbi-1 (CH-1) is set to be drilled under the terms of the Development Licence and the Farmout Agreement.

Charles Santos, executive chairman of Aminex, said, "We are pleased to have reached agreement with APT on the revised 2026 work programme and budget and the provisional 2027 programme, which together envisage an expenditure of up to US$75 million across the remainder of 2026 and 2027.

"The coming months will see a significant increase in operational activity at Ntorya, with work commencing at NT-1, testing and first production from NT-2, completion of the pipeline and the planned drilling of NT-3. Importantly, the provisional 2027 programme provides a clear pathway for further early drilling at the NT-E and NT-W locations as we move beyond first production and into the broader development of the Ntorya field.

"We remain focused on maintaining the current momentum and delivering first gas in December."

Africa’s refining landscape is entering one of its most consequential periods in decades

Across the continent, governments and investors are pursuing sharply different paths. While some are building new mega refineries, others are rehabilitating ageing assets, and several have shut down or abandoned refining altogether. The result is a fragmented energy security map in which a handful of states are moving toward product independence while others are becoming more vulnerable to global supply shocks.

This divergence raises a central question for Africa’s energy future: how will these refinery outcomes reshape regional product flows, commercial stability and long-term energy security?

Refinery revival model in Nigeria

No country illustrates the scale of Africa’s refining ambitions more clearly than Nigeria. After decades of dependence on imported refined products, the country is now positioned to become a regional product hub.

The Dangote effect

The Dangote Refinery -- Africa’s largest -- marks a structural shift in West Africa’s energy landscape. Designed to process hundreds of thousands of barrels per day, it has the potential to:

∙ Significantly reduce Nigeria’s import bill

∙ Stabilise domestic fuel supply

∙ Create export opportunities to Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroon and beyond

∙ Ease pressure on foreign exchange markets

Even partial operationalisation has already altered expectations across the region.

Port Harcourt rehabilitation

Alongside Dangote, the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery signals a renewed commitment to restoring legacy capacity. While timelines have shifted, the project remains symbolically and strategically important. If successful, it will complement Dangote by providing additional domestic supply and reducing reliance on imported products.

Strategic impact

Nigeria is moving from a position of chronic import dependence toward potential net exporter status. This shift could reshape West African product flows and strengthen regional energy security -- provided operational stability is achieved.

Incremental expansion and rehabilitation in Angola

Angola represents a quieter but equally important refinery story. As one of Africa’s major crude producers, its reliance on imported refined products has long been a structural contradiction.

Upgrading existing capacity

Angola has invested in upgrading its existing refining infrastructure to improve efficiency and expand output. These efforts aim to reduce import dependence and stabilise domestic supply.

New projects in development

The government has also advanced plans for new refining capacity, seeking to diversify its downstream sector and capture more value domestically.

Strategic impact

Angola’s incremental approach is gradually strengthening its energy security. While not transformative on the scale of Nigeria, it represents a steady move toward greater self sufficiency and reduced exposure to global price volatility.

Refineries closing in South Africa

South Africa offers a stark contrast. Once home to several major refineries, the country has seen its domestic refining capacity collapse.

Import dependency

By 2022–2023, all major crude refineries -- including Sapref, Enref and PetroSA’s Mossel Bay plant -- were shut or mothballed. The result is a country of South Africa’s economic size relying almost entirely on imported refined products.

Economic and infrastructure consequences

The impact has been significant:

∙ Aviation fuel shortages

∙ Bitumen shortages affecting construction

∙ Price volatility across petrol and diesel markets

∙ Heightened vulnerability to global shipping disruptions, including Red Sea tensions

Strategic impact

South Africa’s experience underscores the risks of losing domestic refining capacity. It highlights why refinery revival efforts elsewhere in Africa carry strategic weight.

Uganda's refinery story

Uganda provides a different kind of refinery story -- one shaped by geopolitics, financing pressures and environmental concerns.

The abandoned Lake Albert refinery

Uganda initially planned a refinery in the Lake Albert region to process its crude domestically. Despite years of negotiation, the project stalled due to:

∙ Financing challenges

∙ Investor withdrawal

- Geopolitical pressures

- Shifting commercial priorities

Pivot to the EACOP pipeline

Instead of a refinery, Uganda pivoted to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) through Tanzania. The pipeline is:

∙ More costly financially

- More environmentally sensitive

- Socially disruptive with displacement and resettlement challenges

- Still leaving Uganda dependent on imported refined products

Strategic impact

Uganda’s case shows how refinery failure can lead to long-term energy insecurity. It also illustrates how geopolitical and financial dynamics shape infrastructure outcomes across Africa.

Regional energy security

The combined effect of these refinery trajectories is a reshaped continental energy landscape.

West Africa

Nigeria’s refinery revival could stabilise regional product supply and reduce reliance on European imports. If successful, it may become the anchor of West Africa’s product market.

Southern Africa

South Africa’s refinery collapse has created regional vulnerability, with neighbouring states exposed to supply disruptions and price swings.

East Africa

Uganda’s pipeline strategy increases crude export potential but does not address product security. Kenya’s earlier refinery closure adds to regional import dependence.

North Africa

Countries like Egypt, Algeria and Morocco continue to upgrade and expand refining capacity, maintaining a more stable downstream environment.

Commercial, geopolitical and social implications

Commercial

∙ Domestic refining reduces import bills

∙ FX pressures ease when product imports decline

- Pricing reforms become more politically manageable

- Investment flows shift toward downstream infrastructure

Geopolitical

- International investors from the West, Middle East and China shape project outcomes

- Regional competition for product markets intensifies

- Maritime security risks influence supply chains

Social and environmental

- Refinery projects create employment and industrial development

- Pipeline projects raise displacement and environmental concerns

- Communities experience both benefits and burdens of energy infrastructure

Africa’s refining future

Africa’s refining landscape is diverging, not converging. Some states are building resilience through new or rehabilitated refineries, while others are becoming more dependent on imported products. The next decade will determine whether the continent emerges as a regional refining hub or remains vulnerable to external supply shocks.

What is clear is that refinery decisions made today will shape Africa’s energy sovereignty for decades to come.

The article has been written by Elijah Paul RukidiMpuuga, FCIArb (UK), founder and principal, Equitas Dispute Resolution Group, LLC

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, in his capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, ADIPEC 2026 will take place in Abu Dhabi from 2 to 5 November 2026 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi

The event will mobilise investment in resilient and intelligent energy systems, with confirmed participation from ministers, CEOs and senior leaders across energy, technology, finance and industry.

The event will convene the global energy industry in Abu Dhabi as the world enters a new era of rising energy demand, geopolitical volatility, infrastructure constraints and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI), underscoring the critical importance of energy security to economic stability and growth.

As the world's largest energy conference and exhibition, and drawing on the UAE's position as a reliable energy supplier, long-term investment partner and global hub for technology and industry, ADIPEC 2026 will bring together policymakers, producers, investors, technology leaders and customers to turn shared priorities into practical action.

Across its conferences and exhibition, participants will align priorities, advance commercial partnerships and accelerate the projects and solutions needed to support secure, reliable and affordable energy supplies and long-term growth.

Among the early confirmed speakers for ADIPEC 2026 are: His Excellency Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, UAE; His Excellency Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Arab Republic of Egypt; His Excellency Saleh Kharabsheh, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Rt. Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister for State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Nigeria; Wael Sawan, CEO, Shell; Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman & CEO, TotalEnergies; Meg O'Neill, CEO, bp; Richard Jackson, President and CEO, Oxy; Claudio Descalzi, CEO, ENI; Christian Bruch, President and CEO, Siemens Energy; Wang Yuetao, Chairman, Zhenhua Oil; Olivier Le Peuch, CEO, SLB; Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman and CEO, Baker Hughes; Horacio Marín, Chairman of the Board and CEO, YPF; Dr Angela Wilkinson, Secretary General and CEO, World Energy Council; Aliko Dangote, President & CEO, Dangote Group; Hunter Hunt, Chairman and CEO, Hunt Energy Holdings; Stuart Bradie, Chair of the Board, President and CEO, KBR; Dr Olivier Oullier, CEO and Co-founder, Inclusive Brains; and Prof. Haruhiko Ando, CEO, Japan Cooperation Center for Petroleum and Sustainable Energy.

Abdulmunim Al Kindy, Chairman of ADIPEC 2026, said, “Recent volatility has reaffirmed a simple truth: energy security is economic stability. As demand rises and AI transforms both the energy sector and the economies it powers, the world must invest ahead of demand, diversify supply and strengthen the infrastructure, technology and capabilities that keep energy moving.

“ADIPEC 2026 will focus on what the next energy system needs most: growth, reliability, intelligence and delivery. By bringing together policy, capital, technology and industry in Abu Dhabi, we will help advance the investments, projects and partnerships required to provide more energy, more securely and affordably, while supporting global economic growth.”

New for 2026, ADIPEC's Strategic Conference has been redesigned around the forces reshaping global energy, from rising demand and energy security to infrastructure, investment, AI, industrial execution and workforce capability.

Across 11 programmes and more than 380 sessions, ministers, CEOs, investors, policymakers and technology leaders will examine the decisions, partnerships and capital needed to expand energy supply, accelerate infrastructure delivery and strengthen long-term system performance.

New Strategic Conference programmes include Energy Security & Resilience; Policy, Regulation & Governance; Upstream; Clean Power, Molecules & Carbon Management; Grids, Infrastructure & Industrial Execution, and Workforce & Skills.

Existing programmes have also been updated to reflect the priorities shaping energy's next phase, including AI, Digital & Technology Innovation and Downstream, Chemicals & Industrial Value Chains.

The 11 Strategic Conference programmes are complemented by the Technical Conference, with its SPE Technical and Downstream Technical programmes, which together represent the world's largest gathering of technical energy engineers and experts to transform strategy into operational delivery.

Christopher Hudson, President, dmg events (organisers of ADIPEC), said, “As the global energy landscape continues to evolve, ADIPEC's role as a platform for dialogue, collaboration and commercial engagement has never been more important. Rising energy demand, supply constraints and rapid technological advancement underscore the need to bring industry leaders together to align priorities, mobilise investment and accelerate the projects and technologies required to support long-term energy security and economic growth.

“The strong early momentum behind ADIPEC 2026 reflects the industry's recognition of both the scale of the opportunity and the urgency for action. By convening policymakers, investors, technology leaders and energy producers in Abu Dhabi, ADIPEC will help strengthen partnerships, advance innovation and support the delivery of the secure, reliable and affordable energy systems the world needs.”

The ADIPEC Exhibition will serve as a global marketplace where connections translate into commercial outcomes. In 2025, the event generated US$53 billion in value through more than 49,000 deals, demonstrating its role in advancing investment, partnerships and project delivery.

With more than 2,250 companies already confirmed to participate – including 54 NOCs, IOCs, NECs and IECs – across 16 halls and 30 country pavilions, ADIPEC 2026 is set to be one of the most influential gatherings in the global energy industry, bringing together the technologies, collaboration and investment opportunities shaping the future of energy. Four specialised zones will connect market-ready technologies and solutions with customers, investors and partners, helping move projects from opportunity to execution.