JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, July 5, 2022/ — Steve Brann, Long Term Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Origination at Vitol Group, will be attending and participating in the African Energy Week (AEW) 2022 (AECWeek.com) conference, Africa’s premier event for the oil and gas sector, which takes place from 18 – 21 October 2022, in Cape Town.
Vitol Group represents one of the world’s largest traders of energy, with 367 million tons of crude oil and products shipped in 2020 alone.
Facilitating the flow of energy across global markets, the group is well-positioned to lead discussions on improving intra-African energy trade at the continent’s premier event for the oil and gas sector.
With the African Continental Free Trade Agreement implemented in January 2021, new opportunities for trade have emerged in Africa, on the back of simplified procedures and new projects across the entire energy spectrum coming online.
Under a mandate to make energy poverty history by 2030, AEW 2022 promotes free markets as well as improved trade of energy commodities across Africa. In this regard, Brann, representing Vitol, will be instrumental, in driving discussions on trade, LNG, and alleviating energy poverty.
Brann’s experience across the global LNG market will be crucial for shaping discussions on how Africa can optimize its LNG market. With Africa set to become a global LNG hub – owing to increased demand from Europe, energy poverty reduction efforts, new gas discoveries in Namibia, Mozambique, and Ivory Coast, and increased LNG development and infrastructure rollout in mature markets such as Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Niger, and Equatorial Guinea – insights from Brann at AEW 2022 will be crucial for helping African energy stakeholders and policymakers understand the challenges and opportunities across the future African LNG market and how to navigate through them.
Prior to his current role, Brann was Vitol Dubai Limited’s Investment Manager for LNG. With investment declines in the oil and gas sector hindering the growth of Africa’s LNG market by limiting exploration and production and delaying infrastructure rollout, Brann’s experience regarding energy investment allocation, policies, and management will be vital for discussions around how Africa can attract funding to boost the energy market as the energy transition intensifies.
Brann has played a pivotal role in optimizing Vitol Group’s investment strategy with the firm expanding its footprint in Africa through the signing of a multi-billion LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement with Nigeria LNG Limited for the supply of 0.5 million tons per annum of LNG from October 2021 through to 2031.
The deal will be critical for Nigeria’s gas market, driving gas monetization and infrastructure modernization. In 2018, Vitol Group also led a consortium of Africa Oil and Delonex Energy in a $1.407 billion investment deal to acquire oil and gas producing assets in Nigeria’s deepwater.
Before joining Vitol, Brann worked in management consulting with Dubai-based Contax Group, US-based Celerant Consulting, and Bain & Co. Brann is also board member of global fuel retail solutions firm, Cockett Marine Oil.
“The participation of Brann at AEW 2022 brings the discussion on Africa’s LNG potential to greater heights. LNG has the potential to transform Africa’s energy and economic landscape, ushering in a new era of energy access, industrialization, and socio-economic growth.
Countries such as Senegal, Mauritania, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, and Tanzania are making significant progress to establish competitive LNG markets. In addition to exports, LNG can and should be used in Africa.
Driving this narrative, while making a strong case for intra-African commodity trade, Brann will be instrumental at AEW 2022,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber (AEC).
At AEW 2022, Brann will participate in panel discussions and high-level meetings, discussing the LNG market and trends within the African energy sector.
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About AEW2022:
AEW 2022 is the AEC’s annual conference, exhibition and networking event. AEW 2022 unites African energy stakeholders with investors and international partners to drive industry growth and development and promote Africa as the destination for energy investments.
Key organizations such as the African Petroleum Producers Organization, as well as African heavyweights including Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria, have partnered with AEW, strengthening the role the event will play in Africa’s energy future.
