Africa’s energy landscape is poised for significant transformation with the advancement of the Exploration and Production (E&P) sector. Day two of the African Energy Week (AEW) 2023 conference, the African Energy Chamber’s (AEC) (http://www.EnergyChamber.org) annual energy event, featured a dedicated session titled, Revolutionizing E&P Growth: Exploring Smart Solutions from Service Providers. The sessions focused on the integral role that service companies play in the development and evolution of Africa’s energy industry.
Service providers bring a wealth of expertise and technology to the table, playing a pivotal role in bridging the gap between traditional oil and gas practices and the innovative, sustainable solutions required for the future.
“I think service providers have a key role to play,” stated Diane Morbelli, Sales&Marketing Manager: West Africa at SLB. “Our drilling systems help the operators to improve production which helps improve the design and ultimately the optimization that we are all looking for.”
Bringing cutting-edge technology and techniques to the oilfields, service providers enhance efficiency, reduce downtime, and ultimately increase the yield of each drilling campaign. This not only boosts production but also reduces operational costs and environmental impact.
Halliburton has made environmental sustainability and operational efficiency a core focus in addressing the unique challenges of offshore operations in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to Antoine Berel, Managing Director: Sub-Saharan Africa at Halliburton, “Sustainability is really the core in what we do.” The company’s approach centers on a commitment to decarbonization, aiming to reduce emissions while enhancing operational agility and collaborating with local companies to minimize carbon footprints.
To boost technological and operational efficiency, Halliburton imports advanced technologies from Europe, recognizing their scarcity in the local market. Furthermore, the company actively assists emerging facilities in the region through guidance and knowledge transfer to empower them in their decarbonization journey. Halliburton’s efforts not only address the distinct offshore challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa but also contribute significantly to global sustainability and emission reduction endeavors.
With the continuous advancement of exploration technology, service providers are playing an even more crucial role in developing and implementing state-of-the-art tools and methodologies for locating new energy reserves. Their expertise helps unlock previously untapped resources, vital for meeting Africa’s growing energy demand.
In this capacity, PSG are using their multi-client seismic acquisition technology such as GeoStreamer to image, survey and explore wells across Africa.
“There’s various solutions that we have that not only improve the image but also survey efficiency, and ultimately, data image quality,” stated James Gara, Business Development Manager, AMME at PGS. Gara explained that some examples include the company’s GeoStreamer X suite of technologies.
Meanwhile, with the global emphasis on reducing carbon emissions, service providers are integral to helping Africa’s energy industry transition to more sustainable practices. This includes carbon capture and storage, renewable energy integration, and the adoption of greener technologies in traditional oil and gas operations.
“In Mauritania and Nigeria, we have used a tool that enables open-hole quality information. So, we are able to find a deeper understanding of the reservoirs, essentially reducing the logging time which enables us as the operator to reduce the time and cost of the operations” added SLB’s Morbelli.
Public-private partnerships are essential in maximising the experiences of service providers to ensure responsible and sustainable development of Africa’s energy resources. “Multi-client companies are leading the way in public-private partnership,” stated Robin Sutherland, African Adviser at Searcher. He added that host countries have the resources and are looking for companies to come and invest in developing these resources.
Therefore, collaboration plays an important role, and service companies are poised to play a much larger role as new developments kick off across the continent.
#AEW2023 takes place this week in Cape Town under a mandate to make energy poverty history by 2030. Keep following www.AECWeek.com for more exciting information and updates about Africa’s premier energy event.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.