Africa Archives - Page 9 of 23

Africa

Ghana’s next frontier: The Voltaian Basin

Michael Aryeetey Hydrocarbon exploration in Ghana is entering a new stage: After two decades of offshore success, attention is shifting inland, towards the vast and little‑understood Voltaian Basin. Michael Aryeetey, Deputy Chief Executive for Exploration and Production at the Ghana…

Mariël Reitsma

August 13, 2026

The geological context of the North Cleopatra block

A few days ago, it was announced that the Velox-1X well, drilled in the North Cleopatra block offshore deep-water Egypt by Shell and partners, hit oil. The well, which was drilled to 6,000 m below sea level, is located in…

Henk Kombrink

August 7, 2026

Benin’s second act: Redevelopment of the historic Sèmè Field

Benin’s upstream sector is entering a new era. After nearly three decades without production, the West African nation is preparing for a revival thanks to the redevelopment of the historic Sèmè field. Akrake Petroleum drilled a successful horizontal well earlier…

Mariël Reitsma

August 6, 2026

Guinea-Conakry: From quiet frontier to regional contender

Guinea-Conakry is among the West African countries actively developing its offshore prospects. Encouraged by discoveries in other parts of MSGBC basin, the country is now gearing up for the next phase. The progression is driven by improved geological understanding, strengthened…

Mariël Reitsma

July 24, 2026

The Sinapa saga

As with any exploration story, this story begins with a map that hides a secret. Salt, tall as a mountain, buried clear white veils of fluid rock, and a target that dares to wrap itself against its throat. We are…

Neil Hodgson

July 21, 2026

Beyond turbidites: Core insights from the Rovuma Basin

The Rovuma Basin evolved from Early Jurassic rifting into a passive margin by the Mid-Cretaceous, followed by significant clastic infill through the Cretaceous and Tertiary. Uplift associated with the early Paleogene East African Rift System drove substantial sediment supply, feeding…

Corneliu Cosovanu, Core Laboratories

July 17, 2026

Frontier volumes, near-field risk

Papua New Guinea (PNG) rarely features in the E&P headlines, but in fact, the country has a lot to offer when it comes to the exploration scene. TotalEnergies and partner Petronas are likely to be drilling PNG’s first deepwater well,…

Henk Kombrink

July 16, 2026

From vision to discovery

The Niger Delta has delivered many of West Africa’s defining hydrocarbon discoveries, but every so often a well comes along that exceeds expectations. JK‑004 marks the first major success under Renaissance’s refreshed exploration strategy. The well was drilled in shallow…

Mariël Reitsma

July 15, 2026

Liberia’s quiet rise: Inside the country’s emerging petroleum industry

Liberia is often described as one of West Africa’s last true frontier basins, an offshore province with world‑class geology but still awaiting its first commercial discovery. As the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) intensifies seismic reprocessing, regulatory reform, and…

Mariël Reitsma

July 8, 2026

A basin-scale perspective: Foster Boateng’s journey through data, discovery and a changing industry

My journey in geoscience started during my undergraduate days at the University of Ghana, where my interest in sedimentary basins and petroleum systems first took shape. That fascination pushed me to pursue a master’s degree in Petroleum Geology at IFP…

Mariël Reitsma

July 1, 2026

Mid Atlantic ocean floor at outcrop

The island of Maio, Cabo Verde, 600 km the west of Senegal, is the only place where Cretaceous mid-ocean floor of the distal Mauritania – Senegal – Guinea Bissau – Conakry (MSGBC) Basin is exposed, providing a unique opportunity to study…

Simon Schneider, CASP and Colm S. Pierce, University College Dublin

June 19, 2026

The Supermajors are scaling up, are you?

In the noughties and 10s, wildcat exploration, the fierce frontline of the E&P sector, was characterised by small ambitious pioneers, testing new plays in large basins, with the large caps and majors usually playing the role of “fast followers” when…

Peter Elliott, NVentures

June 4, 2026

The global energy sector from a subsurface perspective

Africa

Ghana’s next frontier: The Voltaian Basin

The geological context of the North Cleopatra block

Benin’s second act: Redevelopment of the historic Sèmè Field

Guinea-Conakry: From quiet frontier to regional contender

The Sinapa saga

Beyond turbidites: Core insights from the Rovuma Basin

Frontier volumes, near-field risk

From vision to discovery

Liberia’s quiet rise: Inside the country’s emerging petroleum industry

A basin-scale perspective: Foster Boateng’s journey through data, discovery and a changing industry

Mid Atlantic ocean floor at outcrop

The Supermajors are scaling up, are you?

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