Cape Town is set to hosts experts in the upstream oil and gas sector between 18-21 October 2022, as part of the African Energy Week, in South Africa. For the first time, Sierra Leone will be represented by the Director-General of the Petroleum Directorate, Foday B. L. Mansaray II, who has confirmed his attendance and participation at the 4-days event.
In a press statement, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) informed, “the AEC is proud to announce the attendance and participation of Foday B. L. Mansaray II, Director General of the Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone, at its upcoming annual conference, African Energy Week (AEW), which will take place October 18-21, 2022, in Cape Town.”
Before his appointment as DG, the engineer by profession has acquired vast experience in the oil and gas industry, having worked with global major players in the sector including Schlumberger and TotalEnergies in Brazil, Gabon, and the United Kingdom.
As head of Sierra Leone Petroleum Directorate, he overlooks the country’s regulatory and administrative frameworks for effective management and monitoring of petroleum resources. His directorate is responsible for negotiating exploration licensing agreements, and for monitoring the application of regulation designed to help Sierra Leone achieve its goals of attracting potential investors, and international majors to expand the oil and gas market.
The African Energy Week will serve as a platform for Mansaray to present the significant opportunities the country's energy landscape can offer potential investors, along with the fundamental open-door policy of government in expanding the sector.
It could be recalled that between 2008 and 2013, two global oil and gas companies, US-based energy firm Anadarko, and Russian company Lukoil, conducted exclusive exploration to determine the available energy presence in the country.
The exploration led to significant discoveries of the availability of the Venus B-1, Mercury-1, Jupiter-1, and Savannah-IX in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leoneans are of the views and assurance that, the attendance and participation of the country Director General of the Petroleum Directorate, will bring positive fortune to the nation.
Despite the slow development in that sector after the discoveries, the African Energy Chamber says, “Sierra Leone’s oil and gas production is ranked at number 171 among the world’s top and potential hydrocarbon producers. With production at 0 billion barrels, significant opportunities are available, particularly in the mid to downstream sectors.”
The Executive Chairman of AEC, NJ Ayuk expressed, “despite the entrance of majors Mobil and Amoco to explore Sierra Leone’s oil and gas landscape in the 1980s, the country’s full hydrocarbon potential has not been realized. Today, a lack of adequate energy supply is hindering the country’s economic growth, and this needs to change. We welcome the participation of the PDSL at AEW 2022 in Cape Town where challenges hindering the growth of Africa’s energy sector and economies will be discussed at large.”
However, Mansaray is expected to discuss with energy stakeholders issues including how hydrocarbon producers in Africa can attract investment to improve exploration and production activities and boost the oil and gas sector as well as strategies for leveraging renewable energy to improve access to electricity for over 600 million people across Africa that are currently living in energy poverty. AEW 2022 will provide a platform for governments, investors, and energy stakeholders to discuss, collaborate on and sign investment packages that help countries such as Sierra Leone accelerate energy sector development while addressing accessibility challenges.
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