Taking place under the theme, ‘The Engine of East African Growth’, and on the cusp of numerous advancements in the sector, this year’s South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP) 2023 (https://apo-opa.info/3IrJDbN) conference and exhibition – held in official partnership with the country’s Ministry of Petroleum – comes at a pivotal moment for a country that has emerged as the cornerstone for energy development in the East African, Middle East and North African (MENA), and Central African regions.

Held from 14-16 June 2023 in the country’s capital city of Juba and on the heels of five immensely successful events with the inaugural conference having taken place in 2017, the sixth edition of the SSOP event series stands to confirm South Sudan’s commitment towards promoting development through petroleum exploration and production while facilitating opportunities for new deals, new investments, and new relationships.

Demonstrating the massive shift taking place across South Sudan and highlighting the country’s development opportunities, international confirmations by global stakeholders from the U.S., China, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Norway, Egypt (https://apo-opa.info/42OIOkN), and Turkey at this year’s event are indicative of the nation’s burgeoning energy industry, setting the stage for growth through a strong community of global stakeholders committed to transforming the region’s economic landscape.

With plans to seek new upstream partners and develop its oil and gas acreage, South Sudan has launched a 14-block licensing round with licenses expected to be awarded in 2023, which has attracted interest from leading global oil and gas players seeking to participate in the country’s bright energy future. On top of its vast natural resources, South Sudan benefits from a government intent on attracting international operators and services providers such as international oil and gas company, Oranto Petroleum, and South African state-owned Strategic Fuel Fund, whose extensive footprint across the African continent will drive energy security and prosperity in the region for years to come.

In the past year alone, the South Sudanese Government has signed agreements with Djibouti (https://apo-opa.info/3nSTZtU), Sudan, and Ethiopia, while strengthening bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia and overseeing Africa-focused independent energy company, Savannah Energy’s, acquisition of producing oil field from Malaysian oil and gas company, Petronas. In the wake of such high-level international outcomes, the conference and exhibition will also feature the confirmed participation of ministerial delegations from Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe, Djibouti, South Africa, and Kenya.

Meanwhile, serving as the single most important platform for deal-making and partnerships in East Africa, deals signed at previous events include an MoU between Kush Bank and AIS Capital Advisors (https://apo-opa.info/3SZp3Dv) to finance $75 million in capital for their integrated energy value project in South Sudan as well as an industry-advancing MoU between the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Djibouti and the Ministry of Petroleum of South Sudan. Additionally, Kush Bank (apo-opa.info/3F5PUI7) signed its second MoU at the conference to further enhance the institution’s growth plans across the South Sudanese energy market. Spurring an increased interest in South Sudan’s investment landscape, this year’s conference and exhibition will feature a finance panel sponsored by Uganda-based Stanbic Bank, which has been instrumental towards the development of the private sector in the world’s youngest nation. 

SSOP is where deals are made, where projects are launched, and where industries are built. Organized by leading global Africa-focused investment platform, Energy Capital & Power, SSOP 2023 promises to foster development across the entire regional energy value chain, inviting investors to explore and engage with opportunities across the upstream, midstream, mining, power generation and distribution, services, and infrastructure sectors. Join us in Juba from 14-16 June 2023 to take part in the future of South Sudanese energy.