Energy experts head to Nairobi for major oil, gas conference

By Nicholas Waitathu            

Nairobi, Kenya: Major global oil and gas companies are among over 75 companies that have confirmed their attendance in an oil and gas conference set for next week in Nairobi.

More than 15 countries and 76 oil and gas companies will pitch tents in the country to scout for new business and investment opportunities.

The 3rd oil & gas Africa Exhibition 2014 set for April 27 and 29  is being organised by Expogroup Worldwide.The participants will have an opportunity to showcase the industry’s latest achievements and technologies while networking with key figures from the region’s oil and gas sector. Neville Trindade, the Event Manager at Expogroup explained that the businessmen, professionals and other interested groups would converge to discuss strategies to arouse growth in petroleum technology, exploration, drilling, production and processing.

“The exhibition is an annual platform for national and international experts in the oil & gas industry to exchange views and share knowledge, expertise and experiences,” said Trindade.

Other expected participants in the conference include scientists, engineers, technocrats, environmentalists and entrepreneurs.

Trindade stated that the exhibition comes in the wake of the recent discovery of oil and gas deposits in the region.

For example, two years ago, Tullow of UK discovered oil deposits in Turkana County. Gas has also been discovered ion the Coast region. 

International interest

The UK Company has exploration licences for 12 blocks and has identified 10 additional prospects. The company plans to drill 12 wells this year. The Turkana discovery has led to major international interest in Kenya’s remaining oil exploration licences, including from France’s Total, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, ExxonMobil and Chevron, though no other companies have yet announced commercially viable discoveries.

Precious resources

British gas, another UK energy and home services company last month announced discovery of offshore oil and gas deposits in Lamu at Coast. This became the second company to find the precious resources in Kenya after Tullow, which discovered oil in Turkana in 2010.

Energy Cabinet Secretary Davies Chirchir, who termed the discovery as a significant find, said it was also unique in the sense that both minerals were discovered in the same well. “This is a very prospective discovery, though we are yet to determine whether it commercially viable,” Mr Chirchir said while addressing a forum of energy sector players in Nairobi.

Kenya has 46 blocks, of which 44 are licensed to 23 exploration companies. The Government plans to create and offer seven new blocks in the near future.