This edition combines and updates two previous publications – Oil and Gas in Africa: A Legal and Commercial Analysis of the Upstream Industry and African Upstream Oil and Gas: A Practical Guide to the Law and Regulation, both published by Globe Law and Business in 2015 – and has two central elements.

First, it discusses the opportunities and challenges found in a variety of topical issues. For example, chapters describe the production sharing contract (PSC) and economic terms governing regional exploration and production activity; and although PSCs are not an exclusive host government instrument, they are of growing importance for countries looking for greater control over and societal benefits from petroleum production. The book also covers OHADA, financing, M&A, security and decommissioning issues in an African context, and new chapters explore natural gas and ESG.

Secondly, the book features a country-by-country analysis of African oil and gas, detailing the oil and gas frameworks and key issues in Algeria, Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Tunisia. Jurisdiction-focused chapters examine the petroleum laws, the types of legal arrangement in place, the fiscal terms, the acquisition of acreage, governing law, dispute resolution mechanisms and governmental control.

This comprehensive edition features contributions from leading experts from across the industry, including from ministries of petroleum, national oil companies, international oil companies, law firms and consultancies. It will be of benefit to all industry participants and advisers pursuing oil and gas opportunities across the continent.

Okechukwu C Aholu
Lecturer in law at Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/okechukwu-aholu-phd-a9468749/

Okechukwu C Aholu is a law lecturer at the Nottingham Law School where he facilitates teaching and learning for undergraduate law students in public law, tort law and international environmental law.
Before joining Nottingham Law School, Okechukwu taught natural resource law, corporate governance, human rights law and international trade and investment law at Bristol Law School, UWE Bristol. He has also practised law in Nigeria and led teams that argued briefs at superior courts of records in Nigeria.
He holds a PhD from the University of West of England, a master of laws degree in international oil and gas regulation from the University of Aberdeen and a bachelor of laws degree from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology.

Dominic O Akabuiro
Lecturer in law, Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria
[email protected];
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-akabuiro-phd-7343602b/

Dominic O Akabuiro is a lecturer in law at the Faculty of Law, Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria. He is a seasoned legal practitioner, a partner at Dom Akabuiro & Co (Ideal Solicitors) and also a trainer. With over 26 years in the practice of law, he has carved a niche in the areas of law and sustainable development, energy and natural resources law and policy, oil and gas law and alternative dispute resolution. As a senior lecturer, he teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and has also supervised a number of undergraduate and postgraduate projects. He has successfully helped disputants in resolving disputes in courts of superior and inferior jurisdictions. As a researcher, he has contributed to numerous local and international peer-reviewed journals and book chapters. He has facilitated training for public and private agencies on various subject areas including law, policies, regulations, energy and oil and gas agreements, negotiation and legal documentation, and regulatory compliance.
Dominic has a number of awards and honours to his name, including the award and swearing-in as a notary public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and a fellow of Nigeria’s Institute of Policy Management and Development. He is also a member of professional bodies both nationally and internationally including the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK and Nigeria) and the Association of Arbitrators of South Africa.
He holds a PhD from North West University, Mafikeng, South Africa and obtained his MA, LLM (Energy Law) and LLB from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He also completed a postgraduate executive course on managing power sector reform and regulation at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Nadine Amr
Partner, Vinson & Elkins
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadine-amr-224a5659/

Nadine Amr is a partner in the energy transactions and projects team of the London office of Vinson & Elkins. She advises clients on a wide range of cross-border energy and infrastructure projects, mergers and acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, project development work and regulatory matters. Nadine’s practice has a strong focus on M&A and project development involving oil and gas and natural resources and related infrastructure across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Europe. Nadine is recognised in Legal 500 UK and Chambers Global for her work in the oil and gas space. Nadine is a member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators and was one of the drafters of the 2023 Model International Joint Operating Agreement.

Olayemi Anyanechi
General counsel, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission
[email protected];
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/olayemianyanechi/

Olayemi Anyanechi currently serves as the general counsel of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the regulatory body overseeing technical and commercial aspects of upstream petroleum operations. With over two decades of experience, Olayemi is internationally recognised as a leading Nigerian lawyer specialising in energy, finance, corporate and commercial law. She is known for her commercial pragmatism and solution-driven approach to legal practice, adept at crafting effective commercial agreements and promoting the resolution of disputes through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms to facilitate the smooth execution of petroleum operations. Prior to her role at the NUPRC, Olayemi was the founder and managing partner at Sefton Fross and previously a senior partner at Templars, two prominent Nigerian law firms.
She holds an LLM in Corporate and Commercial Law from the University of Cambridge and an MPhil in Finance from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. Olayemi is also a prolific writer and speaker, contributing regularly to international journals, books and magazines on petroleum, banking and finance law.

Opeyemi Atawo
Associate, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/opeyemi-atawo-b1021a3/

Opeyemi Atawo advises sponsors and lenders in the project financing of power, infrastructure and oil and gas assets and projects. She is experienced in negotiating and drafting all aspects of finance documents in connection with international project financings throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Opeyemi is qualified to practise law in England and Wales and in Nigeria, where she practised for four years advising clients on corporate and commercial transactions and foreign direct investments into Nigeria.

Elena I Athwal
LLM candidate, Harvard Law School
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-athwal-b932675b/

Elena I Athwal is an LLM candidate in environmental and energy law at Harvard Law School. Elena is the LLM representative for both the Harvard Environmental Law Society and the Harvard Human Rights Law Journal. She is also the outreach and communications director for the Harvard Human Rights and Business Student Association, as well as the project director of climate justice for the Harvard Law School student group HLS Advocates.
Elena is a research fellow for the UNESCO Chair of Environmental Law and Sustainable Development at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) in Doha, Qatar; a research associate for the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights; and a research associate for the Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development. She is also the global media officer for the International Law Association. She recently graduated with her JD in energy and environmental law at the HBKU Law School, in Doha, Qatar. She is a member of the American Bar Association’s environment, energy and resources group, and the International Bar Association section on energy, environment, natural resources and infrastructure law.

Kevin Atkins
Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-atkins-13549a2/

Kevin Atkins advises multinational clients in the energy and infrastructure sector on corporate and financing transactions. He is most familiar with M&A and joint venture and shareholder agreements as well as equity investment transactions, but has also led acquisition financing, project financing and plain vanilla lending transactions across the energy and infrastructure space. Kevin has extensive experience with complex cross-border investments (of both equity and debt) into traditional oil and gas exploration and production companies and energy transition companies and projects, as well as acquisitions and divestitures (at both the share and the asset level) of upstream, midstream and downstream energy assets.
He also advises on joint venture structures and operational contracts and on capital raising, acquisition finance and project development work. His client base includes companies active across the North Sea, Africa, Latin America and a number of other emerging market jurisdictions.

Mark Beeley
Partner, Orrick
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-beeley/

The leader of Orrick’s London office, Mark Beeley acts as arbitrator, advocate and counsel in international arbitrations (both commercial and investor-state) and in litigation. He has extensive experience in energy and infrastructure disputes and is ranked across Chambers, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal for arbitration, litigation and energy disputes.
He has a particular interest in disputes in the upstream and liquefied natural gas areas, but has dealt with matters across the industry, running the gamut from seismic acquisition agreements through to intellectual property disputes involving refined products, carbon trading agreements and the construction and licensing of renewable projects. He recently led the subcommittee responsible for the amendments to the dispute resolution aspects of the AIEN’s model form JOA.

Samir Bekhti
Oil and gas regulation specialist, ALNAFT
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samir-bekhti-99422028/

Samir Bekhti is an oil and gas regulation specialist with considerable experience in international exploration and production (E&P) contract management. He is currently a permanent board member and head of the contract management division at the Algerian national agency for the valorisation of hydrocarbon resources (ALNAFT). Samir’s work experience exceeds two decades. He actively participated in the elaboration of hydrocarbon law regulations, under the authority of the Algerian Energy Ministry, and was appointed by the Algerian Energy Minister as president of a group in charge of elaborating the E&P contract template (production sharing contract, risk services contract and upstream concession). Samir participated in several roadshows in America and Asia for a better promotion of Algerian hydrocarbon resources.

Olivier Chambord
Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivier-chambord-5a2114/

Olivier Chambord is an accomplished energy lawyer who focuses his practice on leading international transactions and projects for clients in the oil and gas, petrochemical, mining and natural resource sectors, while also counselling clients in a broader range of industries in French corporate matters. In Europe, he handles a variety of matters ranging from cutting-edge energy transactions, including one of the few acquisitions of unconventional upstream oil and gas assets in the UK, to corporate transactions and commercial contracts.
In particular, Olivier regularly counsels clients in the upstream sector, onshore and offshore, on acquisitions and disposals including farm-ins, concessions, production sharing agreements, joint operating agreements, crude and refined products purchase and sale agreements, lifting agreements, unitisation agreements, and more generally the agreements required for the development of oil and gas fields. He also advises on a variety of agreements for the development and operation of domestic and cross-border pipeline infrastructure including intergovernmental agreements, host government agreements, joint venture agreements, interconnection agreements, crossing agreements and transportation agreements. Additionally, Olivier instructs on joint venture agreements and a variety of agreements for the development and operations of refineries.
As a trusted adviser, Olivier assists certain clients on disputes in African countries or in the course of international arbitrations, projects in the mining sector, and on a variety of commercial matters.
Olivier is a member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators and recommended in a number of legal guides, including the Legal 500 for Energy Transactions and for Corporate M&A France, and the International Who’s Who of Oil and Gas and Décideurs – Africa, Oil, Gas, Mining and Natural Resources, Mergers & Acquisitions France.

Kennedy Chege
Researcher and PhD candidate, University of Cape Town
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennedy-chege-08608b55/

Kennedy Chege is a researcher and PhD candidate at the Mineral Law in Africa (MLiA) Research Chair at the University of Cape Town. His doctoral research relates to oil and gas law, incorporating aspects of competition and antitrust law. Kennedy’s research interests span oil and gas law, energy and extractives law, public policy and related fields. He has published extensively on these and related areas, in peer-reviewed platforms, as well as in international media. Kennedy has also presented at various international conferences and other fora on the aforementioned areas, among others.
Additionally, Kennedy is also a business development practitioner at ENSafrica law firm, dealing with matters relating to mineral and mining law, energy law, general corporate and commercial work and other areas of law. Apart from pursuing his doctoral degree, Kennedy holds a master of laws (LLM) degree in commercial law, coupled with oil and gas and mining law; a bachelor of laws (LLB) degree, and a bachelor of social sciences (BSocSc) degree majoring in public policy and administration.

Matthew Daffurn
Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdaffurn/

Matthew Daffurn is a partner in the London office of BCLP. He has significant experience acting for corporations, lenders, sponsors, governments, multilateral agencies and insurers in relation to the development, financing, acquisition and disposal of energy and infrastructure assets in Africa and other emerging markets. Matthew has advised on a number of high-profile transactions across all areas of the oil and gas value chain. In addition to advising buyers and sellers of oil and gas assets and issuers and investors alike on capital raising transactions, he has particular expertise in addressing the issues presented by lending on the basis of oil and gas collateral.

Archa Dutta
Of Counsel, Miranda & Associados
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/archa-dutta-%C3%A9p-bekale-0a30b53a/

Archa Dutta manages one of Miranda & Associados’ correspondent firms in Gabon. After having studied law in France and the United States, she joined Miranda in 2012 and has since supported its operations in the Republic of Congo and Gabon. As part of Miranda’s energy, corporate and ESG practices, she has assisted clients on a wide range of projects in the oil and gas, mining and energy sectors in Francophone Africa.

Mohamed El Ehwany
Bahaa-Eldin Law Office in cooperation with BonelliErede
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohamed-h-el-ehwany-a74a6a5b/

Mohamed El Ehwany is a partner at Bahaa-Eldin Law Office in cooperation with BonelliErede and is experienced in energy, finance and mergers and acquisitions. Mohamed has been recognised as a next generation lawyer in the previous editions of the Legal 500 (2017 and 2018) in the corporate, commercial, M&A and energy fields. Mohamed is admitted to the Egyptian Bar Association and was formerly a member of the Egyptian Council of State. Mohamed earned his LLM degree in business law from Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law and a business certificate from Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Paulo Ezequiel
Partner, PEA
[email protected]

Paulo Ezequiel is a partner in the law firm PEA. He has been a member of the Mozambican Bar Association since 2007. Paulo holds a postgraduate diploma in energy law, awarded by Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) in partnership with Universidade de Lisboa in 2013. He has worked in diverse legal practice areas, including commercial, civil, criminal, energy, telecommunication, immigration and administrative law. He worked as a lawyer and consultant for law firms Meknes Lda and MM&A, as well as a consultant of the World Bank in Mozambique. Paulo was also the head of the legal department at Movitel, one of three licensed telecommunications operators in Mozambique. From 2013 to 2016, Paulo was subcontracted to provide legal assistance to Anadarko Moçambique Area 1.
Paulo’s experience covers advising and consulting on in-water drilling projects, as well as negotiating tax, customs and labour benefits packages with the Mozambican government and in the approval, registration and negotiation of contracts, contributions and payments with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Exchange Control of the Banco de Moçambique. He assists and represents clients in their Mozambique immigration matters and has experience in contract analysis, corporate and anti-corruption and due diligence processes. In addition, he provides legal assistance in diverse areas of law, including but not limited to land law, energy, exchange control, corporate and commercial, civil, labour and immigration, transportation and communications, construction and public works.

Aboubacar Fall
Senior partner, AF Legal Law Firm
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aboubacar-fall-3a684b15/

Aboubacar Fall is a member of the Senegal Bar and a former member of the Paris Bar. He holds a PhD from the University of Rouen (France), a master’s degree from the Université Paris 1 Panthéon- Sorbonne (France) and an LLM from the University of Washington in Seattle (United States). He also graduated in Petroleum Policy and Management from the PETRASD Institute in Stavanger (Norway) and attended several AIEN training courses in oil and gas contract negotiation in Houston (Texas).
For over 10 years Aboubacar has served as principal legal counsel at the African Development Bank Group as well as president of the management board of the African Legal Support Facility. He is currently the senior partner at AF Legal Law Firm, a full commercial law firm, with a practice in, among other areas, banking and finance, project finance, energy, shipping, investment, natural resources (including oil and gas as well as mining), M&A, private equity, sovereign debt restructuring and international arbitration.
Aboubacar is also the co-founder of Africa Law Alliance, a group of 17 independent business law firms from West, Central and North Africa collaborating with the objective to serve international clients across the African continent. He holds several positions in professional associations, such as titulary member of the Comité Maritime International, president of the Senegalese Society of International Law, president of the Senegalese committee of the International Lawyers Association and Senegalese correspondent for the International Arbitration Institute. Aboubacar is a lecturer at several local and regional universities and has published extensively on international business law-related topics.

Olubunmi Fayokun
Senior partner, Aluko & Oyebode
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/olubunmi-fayokun-635009a2/

Olubunmi Fayokun is a senior partner at Aluko & Oyebode with extensive experience in all aspects of corporate and commercial law, with particular emphasis on energy and natural resources law. Olubunmi has advised on a significant number of energy transactions including: the development of a greenfield IPP project; the development, financing and implementation of the first IPP project in Nigeria; and the acquisitions, by various international oil companies, of participating interests in Nigerian oil blocks. She continues to advise major oil and gas companies operating in Nigeria and is a member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators.
She graduated from the University of Ife, Ile- Ife, Nigeria in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in law (LLB) and was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1985. Olubunmi has been inducted into the IFLR1000 Women Dealmakers Hall of Fame for her contributions to the corporate legal landscape in Africa and is recognised as one of the world’s leading lawyers in Who’s Who Legal: Energy.

Bruce Johnston
Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-johnston-1a4483a/

Bruce Johnston advises both lenders and borrowers on banking and finance transactions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, including acquisition finance, leveraged finance, project finance, structured finance, trade finance, assetbacked lending, private placements and asset finance. He also handles energy and infrastructure transactions and workouts and restructurings. A client notes in Chambers Global that “His ability to synthesise an argument and ensure your case is put forward to the other side is second to no lawyer that I have worked with. He brings an excellent commercial acumen to any legal negotiation”.

Cheikhany Jules
Senior lawyer, Cheikhany Jules Law Office
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheikhany-jules-30a71b77/

Cheikhany Jules is professor of law at Nouakchott University. He is in charge of the maritime, commercial and mining law courses. As a specialist in maritime law, air and aero-orbital law for more than 20 years, Cheikhany has developed extensive experience in both the practice (consultancy and litigation) and teaching of petroleum and mining law.
Cheikhany has worked with several leading companies in the petroleum and mining industry, regarding both the framework of their relations in Mauritania and their restructuring at institutional level (mergers and acquisitions). For 10 years he has been involved in the energy field and acts as a legal adviser in that sector.

Maude Lebois
Founding partner, Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maude-lebois-70b2b1/

Maude Lebois is a founding partner of Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes and is recognised for her work handling Africa-related disputes. Prior to founding Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes she was a partner at Shearman & Sterling LLP from 2016. She has extensive experience in the construction and energy sectors, areas in which she has been practising for over 20 years, as counsel and arbitrator. She has represented states, state-owned entities and companies in international commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, ad hoc (including under UNCITRAL Rules) and under the rules of the ICC, LCIA, CEPANI and ICSID. An important part of her work also consists of contract and claim management within the firm’s construction practice. She graduated from the University of Liege (Belgium) and from Harvard Law School (USA) (LLM) and is admitted to the Paris, the Brussels and the New York bars.

Bjørn-Erik Leerberg
Partner, Simonsen Vogt Wiig
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bj%C3%B8rn-erik-leerberg-0b1a6310/

Bjørn-Erik Leerberg holds a law degree from the University of Oslo and is a partner at Simonsen Vogt Wiig (SVW). He has long and extensive experience as a senior civil servant and private practitioner on petroleum and energy, deep-sea mining and offshore renewable energy, related legislation, contracts, administrative and international law and negotiations.
Bjørn-Erik advises companies on Norwegian continental shelf related activities. He leads SVW’s international petroleum practice and his experience ranges from border disputes, joint development and unitisation and cross-border submarine pipelines to bid rounds, upstream and midstream legislation, concessions and contracts, pipeline construction and operations, gas sales and mergers and acquisitions. His clients include international organisations, governments, energy and oil and gas companies and their suppliers with activities in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Far East and Latin America. He lectures regularly on petrolem and public international law.

Christopher RK Moore
Principal, Moore Energy Consulting LLP; Adjunct professor, School of Law, University of Texas
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-moore-23860a21/

Christopher RK Moore provides a wide range of consulting services on technical, financial and economic issues, particularly fair market valuations and expert witness testimony.
He read natural sciences at the University of Cambridge, and joined BP as a geologist in 1975 working in Aberdeen, London and Tunis before joining Tricentrol in London. Chris subsequently joined ARCO working in London and then at its international headquarters in Plano, Texas, where he held a variety of technical, commercial and management positions before joining Moyes & Co as a managing director.
He is a fellow of the Geological Society [of London] and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. He is an active member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators, formerly AIPN, for which he co-chairs its economic evaluation and valuation workshops. Since 2017 he has been teaching postgraduate courses at the University of Texas and the University of Texas at Dallas.

Alexander Msimang
Partner, Vinson & Elkins
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-msimang-5596464/

Alexander Msimang is a partner at Vinson & Elkins and has 30 years’ experience advising on the full range of energy-related projects. Alex’s focus is on energy M&A and oil and gas transactions of all kinds, including across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the United Kingdom. He has been recognised by Chambers as an “eminent figure in the oil and gas sector” and is ranked in Band 1 by that publication for his energy-related work.
Alex is particularly well-versed in African upstream projects, where he is one of the most experienced lawyers in the market. Chambers Global has described Alex as “the foremost overseas lawyer on the African energy market” while Legal 500 has commented that he is “one of the best lawyers out there, and top of the league when it comes to Africa work”. Alex was managing partner of V&E’s London office from 2010 to 2023.

Beatrice Mwella
Master’s degree student, University of Dar-essalaam, Tanzania
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatrice-mwella-4957a9235/

Beatrice Mwella is a graduate electrical engineer, currently pursuing a master of science degree in power systems and high voltages at the University of Dar-es-salaam. She is passionate about sustainable development goals and has keen interest in the energy sector.
She has experience in research on microgrid operations and solar PV systems, aiming to address the energy challenges in Tanzania and across Africa. With a strong foundation in electrical engineering and a dedication to positive impact, she is enthusiastic about seeking opportunities to apply her skills within the energy sector.
Beatrice aspires to make a tangible impact in the industry and is committed to leverage her skills and knowledge to support innovative solutions in the African energy landscape. She is jump-starting her career with great determination to contribute her expertise to the development and growth of energy, focusing on electric power, oil and gas and renewable energy sectors.

Nnennaya J Nwali
PhD candidate and teaching assistant, University of Aberdeen
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nnennaya-n-893641120/

Currently serving as a PhD researcher and teaching associate at the University of Aberdeen, Nnennaya J Nwali holds an LLM in Energy and Environmental Law with distinction, as well as an upper second class LLB (Hons). Her research journey of over four years has centred around the intersection of social justice, human rights and energy. Nnenna’s doctoral dissertation revolves around “developing a legal framework to facilitate a just energy transition for Nigeria, drawing insights from Scotland and South Africa”, highlighting her in-depth understanding of energy law. Her work in these areas has been recognised with the Scottish Universities Law Institute Scholarship.
Furthermore, she has authored academic pieces on topics such just transition and resource curse, among others. She has been a participant and speaker at several conferences, and serves as a research affiliate with the University of Aberdeen’s Just Transition Lab. She is also a proactive participant in several academic communities.

Mwendia Nyaga
Chief executive officer, Oil & Energy Services Ltd; Chief finance officer, OML Africa Logistics Ltd
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwendianyaga/

Mwendia Nyaga is a petroleum and energy business leader with 18 years in the oil, gas and energy industry. He is the CEO of Oil & Energy Services (OES), a boutique consultancy in energy and upstream petroleum services, and founderdirector of OML Africa Logistics Ltd (OML), a petroleum and energy logistics service provider in Eastern Africa. He has been instrumental in the development of local content for the oil and gas sector in Kenya.
Before founding OES and OML, he was the CEO of the National Oil Corporation of Kenya and, later, a consultant to the Ministry of Energy in Kenya. Mwendia holds a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of Nairobi, is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya and the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Damilola S Olawuyi
Professor and UNESCO Chair on Environmental Law and Sustainable Development, Hamad Bin Khalifa University College of Law
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/damilolaolawuyi/

Damilola S Olawuyi is a professor and UNESCO Chair on Environmental Law and Sustainable Development at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) College of Law, Doha, Qatar. He is also the director of the Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development at the Afe Babalola University, Nigeria. Damilola holds a doctorate in energy and environmental law from the University of Oxford; a master of laws (LLM) from Harvard University; and another LLM from the University of Calgary. He is an independent expert on the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights; vice chair of the International Law Association; and chair of the Association of Environmental Law Lecturers in Middle East and North African Universities. He was formerly an independent expert on the African Union’s Working Group on extractive industries, environment and human rights violations in Africa.
Damilola has published several articles, books and reports on energy, environment and natural resources law, including Environmental Law in Arab States (Oxford University Press, 2022), which received the 2023 American Society of International Law Certificate of Merit for High Technical Craftmanship and Utility to Practising Lawyers.

Waniss A Otman
Petroleum economist and analyst
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/waniss-a-otman-03b2b854/

Waniss A Otman is a petroleum economist and analyst who specialises in the area of risk and uncertainty analysis. He holds a PhD in risk analysis of investment in the upstream oil and gas sector (Aberdeen University, Scotland) in 2005, as well as related degrees: MSc (Petroleum Engineering); LLM (International Law and Diplomacy); MSc (Petroleum Economics and Engineering); and BSc (Petroleum Engineering). This perspective has strengthened his background in areas of risk and uncertainty analysis of the petroleum industry.
He has practical experience in the oil and gas industry in executive positions as adviser and as a consultant to NOCs and IOCs. During his career in the oil and gas industry, he has successfully dealt with a wide spectrum of legal, commercial and operational challenges. He has contributed immensely to the African petroleum industry through several published textbooks and numerous papers for professional journals as well presentations in world forums and to regional institutions. He is also an associate editor of OGEL and country analyst for the PRIX Index on Political Risk and Oil Exports, PRIX – Oslo.

Océane Paprocki
Senior consultant, Miranda & Associados
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/oc%C3%A9ane-paprocki-14434366/

Océane Paprocki has been Miranda’s permanent representative in the Republic of Congo for almost 10 years. She studied law in France and went on to obtain an LLM from the University of Manchester. Océane is part of Miranda’s OHADA and energy practices and has amassed a blend of legal experience and deep practical knowledge on energy-related matters, notably in PSC negotiations on behalf of international oil companies.

Eduardo G Pereira
International energy attorney and scholar, Siberian Federal University; University of São Paulo
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-eduardo-g-pereira-107a7171/

Eduardo G Pereira is a worldwide-recognised scholar specialising in natural resources and energy law. He is a founding partner at the International Energy Law Training and Research Company as well as at the International Energy Law Advisory Group. He has been active in the natural resources and energy industry for more than 15 years and is an international expert on oil, gas and energy contracts and regulations. His experience in this area – both academic and practical – is extensive.
He has practical experience in over 50 jurisdictions covering America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Eduardo concluded his doctoral thesis on oil and gas joint ventures at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland). He conducted postdoctoral research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (University of Oxford, United Kingdom) and further postdoctoral research at the Scandinavian Institute of Maritime Law (University of Oslo, Norway) and more recently at the Institute of Energy and Environment (University of São Paulo, Brazil). He holds positions as a full-time, parttime, honorary, adjunct and/or visiting scholar in a number of leading academic institutions around the world. Eduardo is a managing editor for the GSENRLJ and an associate editor of OGEL. He is also the author and editor of several leading oil and gas textbooks. Further information can be found at www.eduardogpereira.com.

Paulo Rage
Partner, Mayer Brown
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulorageinternationallawyer/

Paulo Rage has been a partner at Mayer Brown since 2014 and director of the Brazil-Mozambique Chamber of Commerce – CCIABM since 2008. He is a lawyer with LLB/JD, LLM and PhD degrees in law from the Federal University of Minas Gerais – UFMG, with a specialisation in international economic law and cross-border transactions. Paulo is a member of the Global Energy Group and has significant practical experience in complex cross-border projects and M&A. He has broad project development skills, from the planning and structuring phases (finance, tax, corporate, regulatory and labour planning) through to the implementation and divestment phases, mainly in the sectors of energy (oil and gas, power and hydrogen), infrastructure (construction and engineering) and mining. Most recently, Paulo has provided significant advice to some of the world’s largest energy projects such as those in Subsaharan and Lusophone Africa. He has worked on the so-called ‘mega projects’ in emerging markets for many years (eg, LNG projects, pipeline projects, petrochemical projects, various power projects in gas, coal, hydro, solar and hydrogen, major mining projects and major infrastructure projects, among others).

Noel Shiyo
Senior partner – energy and natural resources, CBS Law Offices
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/noel-shiyo-15a86465/

Noel Shiyo is the senior partner at CBS Law Offices, managing the energy and natural resources practice at the firm. Noel is a multidiscipline and diverse professional who combines knowledge and experience in law, social sciences, investment, public policy and business management with strong exposure from a myriad of cultures into general corporate law practice. He has a special interest in energy and natural resources (legal, regulatory and fiscal frameworks, local content issues, upstream host government contracts and associated energy infrastructure and financing needs); environmental, social and governance; human capital management; business strategy; and investment advisory services. With a career spanning multiple sectors (banking, engineering/construction, oil, gas and mining, advisory and consultancy), Noel has been involved in important national assignments in areas of local content, supplier development and regulatory reforms in the oil, gas, mining and tourism industries in both Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, and was part of a flagship crude oil pipeline project traversing Uganda to Tanzania.

Ricardo Alves Silva
Partner and co-head of energy, Miranda & Associados
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-silva-6256ab7/

Ricardo Alves Silva is a partner and co-head of energy at Miranda & Associados, Sociedade de Advogados, SP, RL, and a graduate of the Lisbon University Law School. Since 2004 he has advised on projects all across the oil and gas and energy value chain, and major energy-related infrastructure projects in Europe, Africa and Asia, acting for both private companies, sovereign nations, regulators and national oil companies in negotiations and the drafting of contracts, legislation and regulations. He has also been involved in maritime boundary delimitation and related oil and gas matters and was special legal adviser to the Timor- Leste JPDA Joint Commissioners, head of the petroleum sector legal team during the Conciliation Commission procedure with Australia, and head of the Timor-Leste legal team negotiating the transitional arrangements for the coming into force of the maritime boundaries treaty between the two nations. He is the president of the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN, formerly AIPN).

Allison Soilihi
Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-soilihi-7715b851/

Allison Soilihi is a corporate energy lawyer focusing on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity transactions, joint ventures and project development. Allison advises clients in connection with production sharing agreements, joint operating agreements, mineral resources transportation and supply agreements, and sale and purchase agreements of energy assets across the upstream, midstream and downstream cycle. She also counsels on a variety of M&A and general corporate matters in France and the United Kingdom, as well as possessing over a decade of experience in the OHADA space and in emerging markets. Allison is an active member of the firm’s energy industry team, international energy and projects working group, and hydrogen working group.
Allison is recommended in the Legal 500 UK (2023) for projects, energy and natural resources: oil and gas.

Thomas Kojo Stephens
Senior partner and head of energy practice, Stobe Law; Associate professor and coordinator, energy programme, University of Ghana School of Law
[email protected]; [email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kojo-stephens-8003aa60/

Thomas Kojo Stephens is a notary public of the Republic of Ghana, jurisdictional author for a number of international publications and has published extensively in international journals as well as written and edited books on the energy industry. He consults for entities in the industry, is an advisory board member of the International Energy Law Advisory Group, and a principal trainer at the International Energy Law Training and Research Center. He served as vice chairman of Ghana’s Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), the statutory body with oversight over the use of petroleum revenue by the government. He obtained his bachelor of arts degree in political science and philosophy (highest honours) from Emory University, United States (Gates Scholar), graduating summa cum laude, phi beta kappa. He obtained his LLB from the University of Ghana, his QCL from Ghana School of Law, and his LLM from Cornell University, United States. He attended the University of Aberdeen (Commonwealth scholar) and obtained a PhD in Petroleum Law, Policy and Regulation.

Christopher B Strong
Partner, Vinson & Elkins
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-strong-3974b11/

Christopher B Strong is a member of Vinson & Elkins’ London energy transactions and projects practice who represents clients around the world on transactions in the energy and natural resources space.
Chris advises oil companies, banks, private equity funds and government entities on the acquisition and disposition of assets, and on project development transactions related to upstream oil and gas, power plants, petrochemical facilities, refineries, pipelines, liquefied natural gas, and mining and metals.
In addition, Chris counsels on highly technical commercial agreements that are unique to the energy sector such as gas sale agreements and power purchase agreements.

Catarina Távora
Partner, Miranda & Associados
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/catarina-tavora-5b3153266/

Catarina Távora co-heads the energy and mineral resources practice of Miranda & Associados and is the head of its OHADA practice. She completed her law university studies in Lisbon, Portugal, and started to work on African projects in 1998 when she joined Miranda. She has worked on a wide variety of oil and gas and other energy-related transactions, projects and matters over the years, focusing exclusively on some OHADA countries since 2005.

Eddy L Wifa
Energy law lecturer at the School of Law, University of Aberdeen
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddy-wifa-7568181bb/

Eddy L Wifa is an energy law lecturer at the School of Law, University of Aberdeen. He has a master’s degree in oil and gas law with distinction and a PhD in marine renewable energy risk governance both from the University of Aberdeen. His research expertise includes oil and gas contracting, offshore energy health, safety and environmental regulation across several jurisdictions, decommissioning, regulatory theories, energy and natural resource governance, energy transition and energy justice. He has advised governments and has been a part of several research projects. He contributes to publications and has spoken at conferences and events. He is currently a member of the Aberdeen University Centre for Energy Law, the Centre for Energy Transition and the director of the African Natural Resource and Energy Law Network.

Steven J Wilson
Senior associate, Vinson & Elkins
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilsonstevenj/

Steven J Wilson is a senior associate in the London office of Vinson & Elkins and a member of the energy transactions and projects practice group. He has experience in global acquisitions and disposals, project development, and commercial contracts work across the energy sector, spanning upstream oil and gas, liquefied natural gas, petrochemical facilities, power plants, renewables and energy-related infrastructure.

Alexander A Witt
Managing associate, Orrick
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-a-witt/

Alexander A Witt represents multinational corporations and sovereign states in investor-state and international commercial arbitrations under the main arbitral rules, including ICSID, UNCITRAL and ICC across the energy and infrastructure sector (oil and gas, renewables and mining) as well as a wide range of other sectors, including transportation and broadcasting. Alexander has a particular interest in renewable energy and technological advances that enable the transition into low-carbon energy sources, such as hydrogen.
Alexander has represented Latin American states in high-profile and politically sensitive investment treaty cases, including cases deriving from the termination of large energy projects. He has also advised clients in the fields of Public International Law and EU Competition Law.

Latifat Folashade Yusuff
Legal practitioner, Nigeria
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/latifat-folashade-yusuff-8616889/

Latifat Folashade Yusuff holds degrees in law and has practised law in Nigeria for over 20 years. In the past 17 years, she has specialised in oil and gas legal advisory services. She has actively negotiated contracts devolving from production sharing contracts, joint venture contracts and other petroleum arrangements in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and managed some of these contracts.
Latifat is a member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN), serving in different capacities, including as a director. She is currently the regional director for Africa of the Association. She authored the chapter on Nigeria in the first edition of the leading oil and gas book, African Upstream Oil and Gas: A Practical Guide to the Law and Regulation (Globe Law and Business, 2015). She also co-authored the chapter on Nigeria in Upstream Law and Regulation: A Global Guide (Globe Law and Business, 2017).

Nonkululeko Zondo
Associate, Vinson & Elkins
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonkululeko-zondo-2560a476/

Nonkululeko Zondo is an associate in Vinson & Elkins’ London office and a member of the energy transactions and projects practice group. She has experience in complex, cross-border private and public M&A transactions in the oil and gas, metals and mining industry.
Nonku holds an LLB degree from the University of Cape Town and is an admitted attorney of South Africa. She is a PhD candidate at the University of Cape Town, focusing on the structuring of fiscal terms for oil and gas projects in South Africa, Tanzania and Ghana.

Damilola S Olawuyi