Congo’s national oil company SNPC is hosting this week in Brazzaville the 5th Meeting of the CEOs of national oil companies (NOCs) of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO). The summit confirmed the growing commitment of African energy companies to work together and address Africa’s persistent energy crisis.
“African NOCs are finding themselves at a crossroad with the dual responsibility of ensuring energy security for their respective markets while finding new sustainable models to develop their natural resources and fossil fuels,” said Rachid Hachichi, CEO of Algeria’s SONATRACH. “SONATRACH is determined to work with African state-owned oil companies to boost our industries and meet common development challenges,” he added.
Echoing his comments, SNPC Director General Raoul Maixent Ominga called for a strong South-South energy cooperation between African NOCs to unlock investments into oil & gas, which remain the main engine of several economies on the continent.
As the Republic of Congo and SNPC host the summit, Minister of Hydrocarbons Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua called for the establishment of a permanent secretariat of the NOCs forum to structure partnerships and cooperation around key APPO initiatives such as the creation of an African Energy Bank.
To grow cooperation between companies, several MoUs were signed this morning between SONATRACH and Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures du Bénin (SNH Benin), SNPC, Société Nationale Pétrolière de la République Démocratique du Congo (SONAHYDROC SA) and Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and between Société nigérienne de Pétrole (SONIDEP) and SNPC.
The MoUs cover several key areas of cooperation, including onshore exploration & production, training and human capital development, and the sharing of best industry and operational practices.