A high-level delegation from Namibia led by Energy Minister Tom Alweendo will travel to Equatorial Guinea to hold bilateral meetings and visit oil and gas facilities. Centered around knowledge sharing and capacity building, the visit aims to improve regional cooperation, strengthen Namibian skills and workforce capacity, while ushering in a new era of growth for the Namibian energy industry on the back of Equatorial Guinean insight. Minister Alweendo will be accompanied by Maggy Shino, Namibia’s Petroleum Commissioner and Immanuel Mulunga, Managing Director of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR), as well as other high-level dignitaries.

During the visit, Minister Alweendo will conduct bilateral meetings with a suite of Equatorial Guinean officials including H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea. What’s more, the delegation will be conducting official visits to numerous oil and gas installations, with Equatorial Guinean officials sharing mistakes, successes and best practices regarding oil and gas development. With specific focus granted to natural gas monetization and local content, the visit aims to encourage joint ventures between the two countries, strengthen cross-border cooperation while nourishing and improving skills and local capacity.

Meanwhile, following the visit, Equatorial Guinean industry experts have committed to training Namibia engineers at Equatorial Guinea’s Punta Europa Liquefied Natural Gas terminal – run by U.S. company, Marathon Oil Corporation. The training will be key for Namibia’s burgeoning oil and gas industry as it will ensure Namibians lead the development of the country’s oil and gas projects.

With Namibia’s energy sector bound for unprecedented growth due to two major oil and gas discoveries this year, Hon Alweendo is committed to ensuring energy developments translate into tangible benefits for the Namibian population. As such, with his visit to Equatorial Guinea, the minister is focused on leveraging regional cooperation and knowledge sharing in pursuit of industry success. For Namibia, Equatorial Guinea represents the ideal partner in the country’s journey towards industry revival. As a regional gas hub in its own right, Equatorial Guinea’s years of experience as an oil and gas producer, as well as its success regarding infrastructure rollout and processing facilities, make the country the perfect knowledge sharing partner for Namibia. In addition to establishing a competitive domestic industry, Equatorial Guinea’s success lies in its capacity to unlock, monetize and process regional gas reserves. As such, as Namibia’s own oil and gas industry unfolds, insight learned from a regional powerhouse such as Equatorial Guinea will be key for ensuring projects are developed rapidly and sustainably.

Speaking during a roundtable interview organized by the African Energy Chamber (AEC) on Friday August 26, H.E. Minister Lima stated that, “The Namibian minister will be coming to Equatorial Guinea, visiting the LNG, methanol and energy plants, so that they will know how they work. The minister will meet with many local Equatorial Guinean firms to encourage local firms to meet and encourage joint ventures and expand on local content. We will support them with knowledge about ports, pipelines and infrastructure development. We will talk about how Namibia needs to fast track its development.”

Hon Alweendo’s visit to Equatorial Guinea will be imperative for Namibia’s burgeoning oil and gas industry. Namibia is on the precipice of unprecedented industry growth, and through the visit, the country is reaffirming its commitment to ensuring development is led by Namibians,” Stated Jude Kearney, former United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Services Industries and Trade Finance., adding that, “In addition to strengthening regional cooperation, the visit will usher in a new era of knowledge sharing and insight between Equatorial Guinea and Namibia.”