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AEW 2025 to Spotlight Africa’s Most Active Exploration Zones
Africa’s upstream oil and gas sector is undergoing a dynamic resurgence, fueled by deepwater discoveries, renewed investor appetite and intensified drilling across underexplored basins. This revival will take center stage at African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies in Cape Town, where a highly anticipated panel discussion on “Exploration Hotspots” will bring together industry leaders to unpack the future of frontier exploration on the continent.
Moderated by David Parkinson, Vice President of Upstream Consulting at Wood Mackenzie, the panel will feature top executives including Casey Donohue, EVP Technical & Business Development at VAALCO Energy, Richard Barke, Exploration Director at ExxonMobil, and a senior representative from TotalEnergies. Together, they will delve into Africa’s most exciting exploration plays, assess the evolving role of independent players and explore how current and future upstream activities tie into the broader goal of long-term energy security.
The session will unpack Africa’s exploration revival – from the established riches of the West African margin to the emerging energy frontiers of East and Southern Africa. In West Africa, Ivory Coast has emerged as a standout. Following Eni’s 2021 discovery of the Baleine field – the largest in the country’s history and now in its second phase of production – the company announced the Calao discovery, which is currently awaiting appraisal drilling. In March 2025, VAALCO Energy farmed into the ultra-deepwater Block CI-705, located near the Baleine and Calao discoveries and believed to hold significant prospectivity.
The momentum in Ivory Coast is emblematic of a broader regional trend: mature producing regions like Nigeria and Ghana are also witnessing a wave of renewed activity, with ExxonMobil committing $1.5 billion to Nigeria’s deepwater exploration and development scene. In Gabon, VAALCO Energy continues to pursue infill and expansion drilling across the Etame Marin block, while exploration in deeper offshore waters gains ground following recent license awards.
Meanwhile, Southern and Eastern Africa are attracting growing global attention as the next major frontier. Namibia, in particular, has shot to the forefront thanks to multiple world-class light oil discoveries in the Orange Basin by Shell, TotalEnergies and Galp. These landmark discoveries have spurred a flurry of follow-up exploration, with several operators planning multi-well appraisal campaigns and wildcat drilling through 2025 and 2026. In South Africa, TotalEnergies is preparing to launch offshore drilling in 2026, having assumed operatorship of Block 3B/4B, which lies on trend with Namibia’s recent oil discoveries.
Crucially, AEW 2025’s Exploration Hotspots panel will explore not only geological potential, but also strategic questions around who is best positioned to lead Africa’s upstream future. With many majors focusing on large-scale gas or LNG projects, independent explorers are taking on greater roles in frontier and marginal basin development. Their leaner operating models, regional agility and targeted technical strategies have positioned them as key catalysts for new discoveries across the continent.
“As Africa strives to meet its own energy needs while contributing to global supply, exploration success remains critical. The investments made today will determine the energy systems of tomorrow, as well as the continent’s ability to attract capital, generate employment and build resilience. The panel at AEW 2025: Invest in African Energies will provide a timely and high-level forum to assess where the next big opportunities lie, and who is most likely to seize them,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.aecweek.com for more information about this exciting event.