In The Spotlight
Oil Review Africa catches up with Christopher Hudson, President of dmg events, ahead of ADIPEC 2025
Excerpts from an interview:
Energy across Africa, as elsewhere in the world, is seeing major shifts and advancements. How does ADIPEC 2025 reflect this changing industry landscape and help meet the needs?
Energy is one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving sectors. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global energy demand rose by 2.2% last year, outpacing the average annual increase of 1.3% recorded over the last decade. At the same time, the global population is projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, with over 750 million people still lacking access to electricity, and more than 2.1 billion people remain without access to clean cooking. Rising urbanisation and living standards are reshaping energy demand, with air conditioning alone expected to be one of the largest contributors to electricity demand growth in the coming decades. This reveals the sector’s increasing need to not only produce more energy but to produce it in a way that is equitable and sustainable.
In this context, ADIPEC 2025 is being held under the theme of ‘Energy. Intelligence. Impact’. It reflects a simple but powerful truth: meeting the world’s growing need for secure, affordable and sustainable energy will depend on how intelligently we harness every resource – human, technological and natural – to deliver meaningful results for economies and communities alike.
At its core, the theme recognises that intelligence – both human and artificial – is transforming the way energy is produced, managed, and consumed. From AI-driven optimisation and digital integration to advances in hydrogen, LNG, and decarbonisation, intelligent innovation is reshaping the global energy landscape. ADIPEC serves as the meeting point for these forces, where ideas translate into action and impact can be measured in investment, policy, and progress.
AI is a major topic of discussion in the context of energy, due to its high demand. How is ADIPEC responding to the challenges and opportunities of the AI-energy nexus?
Artificial intelligence is reshaping both global energy demand and the industry’s ability to respond. Data centres already consume around 1.5% of global electricity, and with AI workloads, that demand could more than double by 2030, rising from 415 TWh to 945 TWh. A single advanced AI model can require as much electricity to train as 100 households use in a year, while an AI query may consume 10 times more energy than a standard search.
This convergence is both a challenge and an opportunity. AI requires enormous energy, but it can also optimise grids, cut waste, improve operational efficiency, and accelerate decarbonisation. At ADIPEC 2025, we have expanded our AI Zone into five experiential areas showcasing how AI is transforming systems, people, and infrastructure. Alongside this, more than 80 conference sessions are dedicated to the AI–energy nexus, from predictive analytics to governance frameworks.
For Africa, this is particularly significant. Many countries are rapidly digitalising while also expanding power systems. The ability of AI to enhance reliability and reduce costs could be transformative for energy access and economic growth.
How is the diversity of the African continent and its vast energy sector reflected across ADIPEC 2025’s programme?
Africa is a core part of ADIPEC’s community. This year, we are proud to welcome a strong delegation of African ministers and leaders, including those from Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Gambia, Equatorial Guinea, and Egypt. Their participation enriches ADIPEC’s Strategic Conference and exhibitions, ensuring Africa’s perspectives are reflected in discussions on natural gas, hydrogen, downstream, and low-carbon solutions.
dmg events is also the largest organiser of energy and infrastructure events across Africa, with long-standing operations in Nigeria, Mozambique, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt and Morocco. This presence gives us a unique vantage point to bridge African priorities with global dialogue.
Africa holds some of the world’s largest reserves of natural gas, oil, and minerals, as well as enormous potential in renewables. ADIPEC is committed to supporting this potential by convening African voices alongside global leaders, unlocking partnerships that can expand access, accelerate industrialisation, and strengthen Africa’s contribution to global energy progress.
Some of ADIPEC 2025’s notable African speakers include: Honourable J. Opiyo Wandayi, Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Kenya; Honourable Sen. Dr. Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister for State (Oil), Petroleum Resources, Nigeria; Rt. Honourable Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister for State (Gas) Petroleum Resources, Nigeria; Honourable Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power, Nigeria; Honourable Julius D. Mattai, Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Republic of Sierra Leone; Honourable Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda; His Excellency Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Arab Republic of Egypt; His Excellency Antonio Oburu Ondo, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, Equatorial Guinea, Honorable Julius D. Mattai, Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Republic of Sierra Leonne; Honourable July Moyo, Minister of Energy and Power Development, Zimbabwe; His Excellency Nani Juwara, Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Gambia; Honourable Cheikh Niane, Deputy Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Senegal, and Mathias Katamba, board chairman, Uganda National Oil Company.
The product line promises cutting-edge ultra-heavy-duty subsea vehicle technology. (Image source: FET)
Nigerian oil and gas firm Marine Platforms (MPL) has signed a contract with Forum Energy Technologies (FET) to deploy new generation work class remotely operated vehicles offshore West Africa
Set to be delivered by May 2026, the contract allows MPL to secure two of FET's subsea XLX EVO III models to oversee intra-operational functions. The product line promises cutting-edge ultra-heavy-duty subsea vehicle technology, designed to undertake a broad spectrum of underwater tasks. The 4000m ROVs will be equipped with larger thrusters for increased through water performance and an improved buoyancy package, facilitating a 350kg payload.
FET will also be introducing a bolted frame -- which is now CNC-machined -- to provide an improved layout for maintenance access as well as tooling capability. Their through-frame-lift will increase to 4000kg, a rise of over 30% from the EVO II.
The XLX EVO III comes with updated pilot chairs and console as well as FET’s next-gen control software, ICE Unity, enabling remote operations and 24-hour support.
Kevin Taylor, FET’s vice president operations - subsea, said, “We are thrilled to be bringing our next generation work class ROV out of the testing pool and into action off the west African coast.
“Marine Platforms is a reliable and longstanding customer, and it’s a pleasure to continue to support the team’s operations. Africa is generally a difficult region to break into, but demonstrating FET’s latest technology in the field will bolster our presence.”
Africa-focussed oil and gas company, Afentra plc, has received the Presidential Decree approval for its Risk Service Contract (RSC) for offshore Block 3/24
This follows the signing of Heads of Terms with Angola's National Agency of Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG).
Block 3/24 is located adjacent to Afentra's existing interests in Blocks 3/05 and 3/05A, containing five established discoveries in shallow water, offering short-cycle, low-cost development as well as near-field exploration potential.
Under the terms of the RSC, Afentra will be Operator with a 40% interest in the block, alongside Maurel & Prom Angola S.A.S. (40%) and Sonangol E&P (20%).
Block 3/24 spans across 545 sq km, lying adjacent to Afentra's existing producing oil fields and undeveloped discoveries in Blocks 3/05 and 3/05A. The block adds a further five discoveries - Palanca North East, Quissama, Goulongo, Cefo and Kuma - all located in the same Pinda reservoir as the existing oil fields in Block 3/05 and 3/05A. In addition, the block contains the previously developed Canuku field cluster, which has produced up to 12,000 bopd. The block is estimated to include over 130 mmbbls of STOIIP and 400 bcf GIIP of already discovered resources.
These discoveries and previous development assets offer a significant opportunity to apply modern technology to deliver short-cycle, low-cost developments tied back to the existing infrastructure in Block 3/05. A number of exploration prospects have also been identified based on existing 3D seismic data.
CEO Paul McDade said, "We are pleased to confirm the formal approval of the Block 3/24 license. This milestone marks Afentra's first offshore operatorship and represents a significant step in our strategy to build a material production business in Angola. Our attention will now turn to technical analysis of the historic wells on the license as we commence a phased programme to re-access wells and fast-track first oil. We look forward to working with our joint venture partners to unlock the full potential of this highly prospective block."
A significant demand boost in West Africa and other regions reflected in Saipem's latest wins as the company announced new offshore drilling contracts amounting to nearly US$135mn in total
Eni Ghana Exploration & Production Limited and Eni Côte d’Ivoire Limited have booked the Santorini, a seventh-generation drillship, for extended operations in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire respectively, ahead of the next drilling campaign in the Mediterranean Sea.
Another seventh-generation drillship, the Deep Value Driller, has completed its operations in Ghana on behalf of Eni Ghana Exploration & Production Limited and will be employed for a new project in Indonesia for Eni Ganal Deepwater Limited, with activities expected to commence by the end of the year.
The Scarabeo 9, having recently completed a successful drilling campaign in Egypt for Burullus Gas Company, an Egyptian oil and gas company active in offshore gas production, has started operations in Libya under a new contract with Eni North Africa BV, that will keep the rig active until early 2026.
Saipem's drilling units are known for bringing in reliability and operational strength to major projects.
Stryde’s technology offers true scalability for large-scale seismic acquisition. (Image source: Stryde)
Exploration services company, Argas, has purchased 30,000 Range+ STRYDE nodes and Stryde’s Nimble Seismic System, marking the first-ever deployment of nodal technology for onshore seismic acquisition in Egypt
The first deployment of the newly acquired Stryde system will be on a very large 2D seismic survey in Egypt. The technology will be used to acquire high-quality seismic data across highly prospective sedimentary basins, supporting oil and gas exploration efforts in one of Egypt’s most promising frontier regions.
Impressed by its cost-efficiency and operational agility, Argas made the strategic decision to integrate Stryde’s technology into its operations.
Stryde’s technology offers true scalability for large-scale seismic acquisition. Its ultra-lightweight Range+ nodes, coupled with a state-of-the-art, high-capacity charging, harvesting, and QC ecosystem, enable thousands of nodes to be rotated daily.
This ensures faster acquisition cycles and rapid delivery of high-quality seismic data, giving Argas a competitive edge in Egypt’s rapidly evolving energy sector.
“After working with Stryde’s system on previous projects, it became clear that this technology brings a significant advantage to both us and our clients,” said Soufiane Azzi, Director of Commercials and Collaborations of Argas.
“The system has proven to drastically reduce deployment time, reduce headcount and vehicles count, simplifies logistics, improve recording time window, and delivers excellent seismic data. We are proud to be the first to bring node technology to Egypt.”
“This is a major milestone, not only for STRYDE and ARGAS, but for Egypt’s energy sector as a whole,” said Mehdi Tascher, sales director at Stryde.
“ARGAS’s purchase is spot on, and reflects the growing demand for scalable and efficient seismic acquisition systems that enable high-density data capture for superior subsurface imaging, empowering more confident and informed exploration decisions. This sale underscores the global trust in STRYDE’s technology and its proven ability to transform seismic operations through operational excellence and data quality.”
In a first divestment development for FrontRow Energy Technology Group, its subsidiary, WellSense, a rapid fibre-optic well diagnostics provider, has sold FiberLine Intervention licence to oilfield services company, Halliburton
The agreement terms secure a global licence for Halliburton to deploy WellSense FiberLine Intervention (Fli) technology for use in well stimulation monitoring.
A FrontRow Energy Technology Group company, WellSense, will continue to deploy the technology globally for all other oil and gas applications, including well plug and abandonment (P&A), well integrity and leak detection, as well as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).
Annabel Green, CEO of WellSense, said, “The successful completion of this deal is a defining moment for WellSense and for our parent company, FrontRow Energy Technology Group. Not only is it a strong industry endorsement of our technology and the value it delivers, but also our business model of bringing new and innovative solutions to market.
“Our unique bare fibre dynamic despooling technology delivers superior data quality for a detailed subsurface understanding. Unlike other well monitoring techniques it provides a lightweight offline intervention solution with disposable probes for significant efficiency savings and reduced risk.
“Meeting the complex challenges of upstream oil and gas requires the adoption of technologies that fundamentally improve how the industry operates. This agreement is the result of a decade of focused innovation, collaboration and delivery and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all our employees, past and present, whose dedication has built the strong foundation that made this success possible.”
Steve Kent, CEO of FrontRow, said,“This deal is a major milestone for FrontRow and is a clear example of how UK-born innovation can solve industry challenges and attract global attention.
“This is FrontRow’s first commercial licence sale and a landmark in our journey. It demonstrates that innovation, when nurtured with the right expertise and support, can deliver technical success as well as real commercial value.”
As Eni's Coral South project effectively continues to be in production, the major has now reached the final investment decision (FID) for the development of the Coral North FLNG project in Mozambique, with an aim for project delivery by 2028
The agreement was signed in Maputo by the Eni-led joint venture behind the project, in the presence of the President of Mozambique, Daniel Francisco Chapo, and Eni CEO, Claudio Descalzi.
While Eni is leading the venture with a 50% share, other partners include CNPC (20%), Kogas (10%), ENH (10%) and ADNOC-subsidiary XRG (10%). Eni will be investing on the development of a state-of-the-art floating LNG facility in the Rovuma Basin, where it will be generating gas volumes from the northern part of Area’s 4 Coral gas reservoir.
Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi commented: “Coral North project leverages Eni’s unmatched exploration skills, our trademark fast-track and capital disciplined development capabilities, Mozambique’s vast gas resources and its strategic geographic position. With Coral North we will contribute to supply the worldwide growing demand for LNG, doubling both Mozambique's contribution to global energy security, and the benefits for the country and its citizens in terms of economic and industrial growth”.
Coral North will be Eni’s second development in Mozambique and the second large-scale FLNG delivered in ultra-deep waters worldwide after Coral South.
With a production liquefaction capacity of 3.6MTPA, the newly built Coral North FLNG - coupled with its predecessor Coral South - will bring Mozambique’s overall LNG production to exceeding 7MTPA, making the country the third-largest LNG producer in Africa and further reinforcing its role in the global energy scenario.
As part of production optimisation strategy, the Republic of Congo is advancing investments on infrastructure development
With aims to expand the container terminal at the Port of Pointe Noire, a €230mn in financing has been generated to onboard freight forwarding service Africa Global Logistics (AGL) for the project.
The new 750-meter quay – scheduled for completion by 2027 – will double the terminal’s capacity to 2.3 million containers annually and support the country’s growing oil and LNG exports.
The Pointe Noire project is being executed by AGL’s subsidiary Congo Terminal in collaboration with engineering firm China Road and Bridge Corporation. Backed by both international and Congolese banks, the €400mn platform will include 26 hectares of quayside, a dredged 17-meter-deep basin, and the installation of 16 gantries. It forms a key part of Congo’s strategy to boost hydrocarbon production to 500,000 barrels of oil per day and LNG output to 3 million tons per annum within five years.
In Angola, AGL also launched operations at its Lobito Terminal in March last year. The terminal – Angola’s second-largest port hub – handles over one million tons of bulk cargo and more than 100,000 20-ft equivalent unit containers annually, with 730 employees operating deepwater berths and modern equipment. The project comes at a pivotal time for Angola, which is preparing to bring several major energy developments online between 2025 and 2028. These include the Cabinda Oil Refinery in 2025, the Agogo Integrated West Hub development in late-2025, the Quiluma and Maboqueiro gas fields in 2026 and the Kaminho Deepwater Development in 2028.
Meanwhile, in Ivory Coast, AGL is playing a vital role in Phase 2 of the Baleine offshore development - West Africa’s first net-zero emissions project. In partnership with engineering firm Saipem, AGL began manufacturing critical subsea structures for the Baleine field in April 2024 at its Carena shipyard in Abidjan. The works include anchoring systems and underwater fixtures totaling over 200 tons, to be deployed in ultra-deep waters. AGL has mobilized 100 skilled local workers – including certified welders, painters and crane operators – reinforcing its commitment to local content, capacity building and sustainable energy infrastructure in Ivory Coast’s rapidly growing oil and gas sector.
AGL’s recent activities in Africa align with its broader vision to support the continent’s energy infrastructure. In addition to the Republic of Congo, Angola and Ivory Coast, the company is currently modernising the Walvis Bay terminal in Namibia while playing a key role in major energy logistics across Mauritania, Senegal and Mozambique.
ADIPEC 2025 will take place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from 3-6 November 2025, with an expanded conference and exhibition programme aimed at addressing the challenges facing the global energy sector
The event will focus on two critical imperatives: building resilience in the energy system and scaling transformative solutions to accelerate global progress.
The theme for ADIPEC 2025, "Energy. Intelligence. Impact.", underscores the need for secure energy to drive inclusive growth, the intelligence to navigate the complexities of today's energy landscape, and the impact that translates vision into tangible progress for markets, people, and the planet. Over the course of four days, the event will explore four key themes, from new energy technologies and geopolitics to digital transformation and building a resilient, future-ready energy system.
This year, the ADIPEC conferences have been streamlined into two comprehensive programmes: the Strategic Conference and the Technical Conference. The event will feature over 380 sessions, with more than 1,800 speakers, including ministers, CEOs, academics, industry experts, and youth leaders. The aim is to turn dialogue into action by showcasing solutions and catalysing collaborations that drive real, measurable impact across the energy sector. The platform will promote intelligent choices, focusing on leveraging all viable energy sources and technologies to build sustainable systems that can deliver energy to more people, at lower cost, and with reduced carbon emissions.
The ADIPEC 2025 Exhibition will span 17 halls and host more than 2,250 exhibitors from across the global energy ecosystem, including 54 National Oil Companies (NOCs), International Oil Companies (IOCs), National Energy Companies (NECs), and International Energy Companies (IECs). It will also feature 30 dedicated country pavilions and four specialised industry zones focused on decarbonisation, digitalisation, maritime and logistics, and artificial intelligence.
ADIPEC 2025 is expected to attract more than 205,000 attendees from around the world, creating unique opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and progress within the energy sector.
