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Driven by deepwater discoveries, frontier basin exploration and increased capital deployment, Africa’s upstream sector is entering a new phase of expansion. With S&P Global Energy forecasting African oil production to reach 11.4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day and upstream expenditure to total $41 billion, a senior delegation from the market analysis firm will bring critical technical, commercial and market intelligence to African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, taking place in Cape Town from October 12‒16.

The delegation will feature Daniel Pratt, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Upstream Solutions. Pratt oversees global upstream research, asset valuation, M&A analytics and digital solutions supporting investment decisions. His expertise comes at a time when operators are reassessing portfolios, optimizing capital allocation and advancing the next generation of high-impact African developments.

The delegation’s technical expertise will be reinforced by Beth Evans, Head of Technical Research for Upstream Solutions, who leads multidisciplinary teams covering geoscience, economics, emissions and cost analysis. Her insights will address a critical challenge facing African exploration and production companies as they navigate rising development costs, supply chain constraints and the need for efficient, lower-emission project execution.

Regional exploration trends will be represented by Justin Cochrane, Africa Upstream Regional Research Director. His work tracks the continent’s most active petroleum provinces, from Namibia’s Orange Basin and South Africa’s emerging offshore acreage to the Niger Delta and the MSGBC Basin, where projects such as the Greater Tortue Ahemyim LNG development are establishing new gas production corridors.

Deepwater remains the foundation of Africa’s production outlook, accounting for approximately 74% of all oil and gas discoveries made since 2010. Namibia has emerged as one of the world’s most attractive frontier basins, while Nigeria’s upstream transition is creating opportunities for indigenous operators as international majors divest mature onshore assets and prioritize deepwater portfolios.

Commercial and fiscal competitiveness will also remain central themes at AEW 2026. Keryn Tsimitakopoulos, Associate Director, Upstream Energy, works on global exploration, supply and upstream trends. Her expertise aligns with growing efforts by African governments to improve licensing systems and attract a larger share of global upstream investment.

The offshore supply chain represents another key area of focus as drilling campaigns accelerate. With high global utilization of specialized vessels and drillships, supply chain availability is increasingly becoming a decisive factor in the speed and cost of African offshore developments.

Natural gas commercialization will form another major area of discussion. While natural gas accounts for approximately 73% of hydrocarbon discoveries made in Africa over the last 15 years, less than 10% of discoveries since 2010 have reached full commercial development due to infrastructure gaps, financing challenges and limited processing capacity. Insights by the S&P Global Energy delegation will support discussions around these topics, supporting investment decisions as Africa advances upstream oil and gas development.

“Data-driven decision-making is becoming increasingly important as Africa advances new deepwater developments, commercializes major gas discoveries and strengthens its competitive position in the global upstream market. S&P Global Energy’s technical and analytical expertise will help industry stakeholders better understand the opportunities and challenges shaping the continent’s next generation of energy projects,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.