Independents drawn to African opportunities
Weak market sentiment for oil and gas stocks is opening E&P opportunities in Africa for private equity and small cap companies—and leading governments to rethink their fiscal terms to attract them
Few people in the oil and gas industry would disagree that Africa is the most exciting continent for exploration in the world, with the greatest concentration of unexplored basins and recently proven reserves. “Africa has a lot of outstanding opportunities,” says Keith Hill, president and CEO of Africa Oil Corp. “There are only two great places to be looking in unproven basins—Russia and Africa. Africa is probably the greatest frontier." The problem is that E&P has fallen out of fashion globally, with institutional investors piling pressure on listed companies about expensive and risky long-term investments, particularly while demand for oil and gas is clouded by doubts over the speed of
Also in this section
19 March 2026
The regional crisis highlights the undervalued role of fixed pipelines in the age of tanker flexibility
18 March 2026
Rising LNG exports and AI-driven power demand have raised concerns that US gas prices could climb sharply, but analysts say abundant shale supply and continued productivity gains should keep Henry Hub within a range that preserves the competitiveness of US LNG
18 March 2026
Risks of shortages in oil products may cause world leaders to panic and make mistakes instead of letting the market do what it does best
17 March 2026
The crisis in the Middle East has put LNG’s ability to offer security and flexibility under uncomfortable scrutiny
