WAIPEC 2018 explores how West Africa can leverage global oil policy

Bank Anthony Okoroafor, chairman of Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), has said the focus of this year’s West African International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (WAIPEC 2018), scheduled to hold in Lagos will be on how West African nations can strategically leverage on global oil policies to achieve growth in the oil sector through expansion of local content policy.

Okoroafor said, with the theme, ‘New Ventures in West Africa: Driving Oil and Gas Production through Innovative Strategies’, WAIPEC 2018 is focused on unlocking strategic value, leveraging innovation, best practices and technology that will grow West Africa’s energy industry.

Spread across two days, February 7 to 8, global industry representatives are expected to discuss, debate and to share their knowledge and expertise through a mix of technical and strategic sessions.

This was contained in a release signed by Okoroafor, who said there will be keynotes and presentations on the future of global oil and gas industries and regional impact: how Nigeria and African oil and gas industries can compete effectively in today’s challenging industries; funding local content ; service company operator collaboration models; the National Gas Flare Commercialization Program; optimising domestic gas supplies, especially for power generation and industrial development; funding and investment; and modular refining.

At the close of the conference, he said PETAN will outline the ambitions of the sector and challenges to the government, maps out a roadmap for the next 21 months and also a call to action that expresses their expectations and those of the wider industry and other key stakeholders.

He said: “The event will set the trend and the pace for the West African oil and gas sector in 2018. The mindset behind WAIPEC is what makes it unique from other conferences – it is designed specifically to be a solutions conference and a platform for the very best representatives from across the West African energy industry to come together and discuss, deliberate and share their insight and knowledge towards creating beneficial strategies for the betterment of all areas of the industry.”

The statement noted that WAIPEC 2018 is driven by an esteemed steering committee and speakers, representing a cross- section of key stakeholders and senior representatives from the Nigerian oil and gas industry, including: Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, the managing director, FIRST Exploration & Petroleum Development Company Limited and president, Nigerian Independent Oil Companies; Bayo Ojulari, maanaging director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo); Simbi Kesiye Wabote, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB); and Tony Attah, the managing director, Nigeria LNG.

Others are Emeka Ene, CEO, Oildata Energy Group; Roland Ewubare the Group General Manager, NAPIMS; Dr. Mazadu Bako from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC); Austin Ojunekwu Avuru, SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company; and Mordecai Ladan, the Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), among others.

The international exhibition being held alongside the conference will showcase around 200 specialist companies and their latest products and services, as well as state representations.

Okoroafor said the exhibition is specifically designed to give direct access to the key players in the Nigerian and West African supply and value chains. It will feature many leading national and international organisations.

Over 200 exhibitors and 6,000 delegates from across West Africa, Europe, Americas and Asia have indicated their readiness to participate at the conference.

WAIPEC, the largest event in the centre of Nigeria’s oil and gas hub, held in partnership with the country’s petroleum sector, sets the standard for content, delegates and industry support.

“It offers direct access to primary stakeholders and key players in the Nigerian and West African energy sector supply and value chains, insight into untapped oil and gas opportunities from tenders, upcoming bids and consortia and projects, introductions to government policymakers, and information on tenders, bids and consortia as well as the roll-out of project pipelines”. the statement said