South Sudan has set 2020 as a year of peace and growth, underlined by the formation of the unity government as well as its active oil and gas sector and sizeable exploration opportunities
Before COVID-19 sent the global energy sector into turmoil, the new transitional government’s swearing-in on 22 February 2020 sealed the 2018 peace deal. It united the opposition parties in South Sudan, leading the country to elections in three years. Puot Kang Chol has been appointed as the new petroleum minister in the oil and gas sector, and a round of licensing was about to start.
Although the pandemic delayed these initiatives, there was no weakening in South Sudan’s commitment to energy prosperity. A significant part of this effort is the 2021 South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP) Conference & Exhibition, the country’s official energy event, to be held from 29-30 June 2021, following a COVID-19 rescheduling.
SSOP’s 2021 theme is #InCountryValue and the conference aims to highlight the ambitious plan of South Sudan to implement a sound local content framework and create an enabling environment for partnerships and investments from international companies.
The conference will bring together top local, as well as regional and international executives. As a proven region producing oil, the country aims to attract more foreign investment while building local capacity, thanks to recovered peace and an improved business environment.
SSOP has welcomed ministerial and high-level trade missions and official representation from the United States, Norway, Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, and South Africa in previous years.
African Oil & Power and the African Energy Chamber will host a webinar on 27 July under the theme Preserving Economic Progress in the Face of COVID-19 to showcase its drive to increase oil production, electricity coverage and build local capacity.
Bringing together top executives from the energy and finance sectors of the country, the webinar will address the impact of COVID-19 on the exploration opportunities for South Sudan, including an upcoming round of licensing to be launched by 2020. Production resumption slowed by COVID-19, foreign investment, as well as long-term local capacity building and power projects, will be mini-discussion areas.
