East Africa's Upstream Surge Puts the Region on the Global Investment Map

East Africa is on the verge of adding over 230,000 barrels per day of new crude supply and unlocking more than $70 billion in LNG investment – a combination that would redraw the continent's upstream geography and open new export corridors to global markets. The region's emergence diversifies Africa's export base beyond the traditional West and North African anchors.

The session “East Africa Upstream: Competitive Basins and Emerging Mega-Projects” at African Energy Week 2026 will examine how today’s potential becomes tomorrow’s supply. The panel, chaired by Wood Mackenzie Principal Analyst Vincenza Papaleo, features the Acting Director General of Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Joseph Oketch and TGS Senior Business Development Manager Jevon Hilder.

“East Africa is delivering on projects that have been in development for many years. The scale of what is coming online across Uganda, Mozambique and Tanzania will register on the global supply map and transform the way investors look at African crude,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Uganda has two major projects in its pipeline that, when realized, will make the country East Africa’s new largest oil producer. The Tilenga and Kingfisher developments, operated by TotalEnergies and CNOOC respectively, are targeting first oil in the second half of 2026. Tilenga was 74% complete as of June with 234 wells drilled, and Kingfisher's Central Processing Facility is nearing commissioning. Together, the two fields are designed for peak output of 230,000 barrels per day, with crude exported via the 1,443 km East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) to Tanzania's coast. President Yoweri Museveni officially named the export blend “Pearl Sweet” on September 2, giving the country's crude a commercial identity for international buyers.

Kenya's upstream sector is also gathering momentum ahead of AEW. The EPRA is preparing to offer at least ten redesigned exploration blocks through competitive bidding in 2026, supported by a new national petroleum data center. Gulf Energy is advancing the South Lokichar project in Turkana County, acquired from Tullow Oil for approximately $120 million in 2025, with first production targeted for late 2026 or early 2027 at 20,000 to 50,000 barrels per day.

Mozambique and Tanzania will turn the conversation at AEW toward LNG. In August 2026, ExxonMobil issued a letter of intent for EPC services on Mozambique’s $30 billion Rovuma LNG project, with FID expected before year-end and 18.6 million tons per year of capacity targeted for 2031. Tanzania's $42 billion LNG project, led by Equinor and Shell, is advancing toward a host government agreement to unlock over 47 trillion cubic feet of offshore gas. If both reach FID, East Africa would become one of the largest new sources of LNG supply globally.

African Energy Week 2026 takes place October 12-16 in Cape Town. The East Africa Upstream session convenes October 14 as part of the Upstream E&P Forum, giving delegates direct access to the regulators and operators shaping the region's production era. Learn more about the event and register as a delegate at aecweek-registration.com.