For a generation, the story of the Niger Delta was written by the supermajors. That story is changing, and indigenous companies like Nigdel United Oil Company are the reason.

Right now, Travis Smithard - CEO of Rhino Resources - is one of the most closely watched figures in African upstream, as he leads one of the most significant exploration stories on the continent - the Capricornus discovery in Namibia's Orange Basin, which flowed light oil at rates that turned heads across the industry.

This September, the World Energies Summit brings an extraordinary breadth of government participation to the heart of London, and the list keeps growing.

The people who know the Africa Energies Summit best are the ones who return year after year.

In the run-up to the World Energies Summit | The World’s Premier Global Upstream Conference | 29th - 30th September 2026, our latest Regional Leader Thought Leadership report turns the spotlight on one of the most quietly compelling stories in global exploration.

Some panels talk about diversity. This one made the business case - and backed it with numbers.

The industry has moved from energy transition to energy expansion. The question now is who moves fastest, and where.

Draw a line from France down to South Africa, and another from the Cape Verde Islands across to Pakistan. Much of the serious exploration and production interest inside that vast arc sits around a single London table.

Energy security used to sit somewhere in the appendix of a strategy deck. Not anymore.

Before a single well is drilled on the frontier, someone has to see what's down there - and 2026 has kept Searcher busy beneath the seabed.

There's no such thing as an upstream decision made in a vacuum. Every frontier basin sits inside a map of sanctions, shifting alliances, contested waters and fragile states.

The world finally understands that we need Africa. We need to all come together to be more productive for the whole world.

Why Shell is in the room at World Energies Summit ‘26

Welcome to The Surge, as we cut through the noise to tell you what actually matters in global upstream; the thinking shaping the market, the deals and rounds worth watching, and where you can join the conversation in person.

There is a huge amount happening across Asia Pacific at the moment, and one of the things I've enjoyed most while building the World Energies Summit has been speaking directly with governments and regulators across the Asia Pacific region about where they see the next wave of investment coming from and what strategies they are deploying to attract new players.

As one of the most trusted independent voices in energy market intelligence, Rystad Energy brings exactly the kind of data-driven perspective our community comes to the Summit for: clear, evidence-based insight into where global upstream is heading next.

A discovery proves the geology. Everything after that is a race against the clock, and in Africa, that race is still longer than it should be.

This news lands just weeks after we revealed the participation of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Regulator (C-NLOER) at this year's Summit, and the timing couldn't be sharper.

Our Strategic Partners play a key role in shaping the Summit, bringing regional expertise and market insight that ensures every discussion is grounded in real-world market conditions.

I once read that if you want to learn, write about it. That's one of the reasons I enjoy this weekly newsletter - it encourages me to explore the topics shaping our industry and learn from some of the best minds in the business.