In the context of the implementation of the Secretariat’s 2022 Work Programme pertaining to Member Countries visits, the APPO Secretary General, His Excellency Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, led a delegation comprising the Managing Director of the Africa Energy Investment Corporation, AEICorp, Mr. Zakaria DOSSO and the Head of the APPO Secretary General’s Office, Mr. Bakary TRAORE on visit to Algeria, from 27th to 30th March 2022.
At the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the delegation was received in audience by His Excellency Mohamed Arkab, Minister of Energy and Mines of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria. In his welcome remarks, Minister Arkab commended the Secretary General and the Secretariat team for the professionalism they are introducing into APPO Secretariat. He urged the Secretariat, as the executive organ of the Organization to work hard to justify the confidence reposed in it and to ensure that Member Countries yield the dividends of it work.
In his response the Secretary General expressed appreciation to His Excellency Minister Mohamed Arkab for the leadership and guidance he provided to the Secretariat as President of APPO for the year 2021, and for the continuous support of Algeria to APPO.
The Managing Director of the Africa Energy Investment Corporation, AEICorp, Mr. Zakaria Dosso, briefed the Minister on the fund-raising drive for the Africa Energy Investment Corporation, the financial arm of APPO.
The delegation visited the Algerian Petroleum Institute, one of the oldest hydrocarbons research institutes in Africa, having been established in 1965, two years after SONATRACH had been founded as Algeria’s National Oil Company. The delegation received presentation on the institute including the aims and objectives, structure, focus, as well as simulations of drillings.
The delegation toured the various laboratories of the institute as well as simulation centers.
The Secretary General briefed the management team of the institute about the findings and recommendations of the Study on the Future of the Oil and Gas Industry in Africa in the Light of Energy Transition, which was commissioned by the APPO Council of Ministers, the planned inaugural Meeting of the APPO Long Term Strategy Committee, the inaugural Meeting of the Chief Executives of National Oil Companies of APPO Member Countries as well as CAPE VIII taking place in Luanda, Angola from May 16-19, 2022.
The SG further noted that the time for APPO Member Countries to go it alone in the quest for local content has passed, especially given the challenges posed to Member Countries by the global paradigm shift away from fossil fuels to renewable energies. He argued that the solution lies in greater cooperation and collaboration among APPO Member Countries in capacity development, research and development as well as strategic planning. He posited that efforts will be made to establish regional centers of excellence in the various sectors of the industry -upstream, midstream and downstream. He noted that it will make a lot of sense to do an audit of the institutions that exist in Member Countries and decide which of them can be designated regional or sectoral centers of excellence.
The delegation also visited the new headquarters of the GECF Gas Research Institute (GRI) located within the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Algeria, where discussions centered on cooperation, collaboration and exchange of data.
The same day, the Delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Ambassador of the APPO Observer Country Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, His Excellency José SOJA. Discussions centered around cooperation and collaboration between APPO and Venezuela.
The day ended with a visit to SONATRACH, the NOC of Algeria where the new Forum of NOCs were presented with its inaugural meeting scheduled for 17th May 2022 in Luanda back-to-back to CAPE VIII.Discussions with the President of Sonatrach, Toufik HAKKAR focused on the challenges facing the Oil and Gas industry in Africa and the need for active cooperation and collaboration between African NOCs to address the imminent challenges of the industry in the continent in the light of the energy transition.
WATCH NEWS ON Télévision Algérienne
