GDS International's Latest Next Generation Oil & Gas Africa Summit Pushes the Boundaries Once More for its September Event

ACCRA, Ghana, August 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

On the 25^th to the 27^th of September, a leading delegation of 65 executives from around Africa will settle into the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, Ghana, for two days, for what promises to be the best attended event in the oil and gas calendar this year - GDS International's Next Generation Oil and Gas Africa summit (NG O&G Africa).

In attendance will be a selection of Africa's most prominent thought leaders who will be contributing to the direction of the summit through a series of peer-led panel discussions and vibrant workshops. This year's senior delegation includes Toril Dyreng, VP Exploration and Global New Ventures Europe and Africa for Statoil; Dorothy Bassey, Assistant Director at the Department of Petroleum Resources; Daniel Elias, Head of Development and Production at Galp Energia; Rafaat Elbeltagy, VP Production and Field Development at EGAS; and Roger Swaine, Head of Projects for Tullow Oil, to name but a few.

Attendees will be given the opportunity to engage in highly interactive workshops, closed-door meetings and working lunches, offering moderated, peer led discussions on major issues in the oil and gas sector, whilst one-to-one meetings give delegates the chance to meet with business analysts and service providers to discuss strategy and technology demands in a rapidly evolving business climate.

Edward Akhigbe, Manager of the Environment Protection and Safety Department at NNPC - NAPIMS was an attendee at last year's event. He said: "A very well thought out programme that seeks to unveil the potential of the oil and gas industry in Africa. There is excellent initiative here, and the development potential for Africa is truly incomparable. The performance of the staff was quite outstanding."

Whilst Emmanuel Ukegbu, GM Production for Addax Petroleum Development Nigeria, said: "The summit was a one-stop shop that allowed me to discuss both the technical, managerial and commercial issues pertinent to the operating and developing strategies to achieve greater excellence in the oil industry."

Ben Williams, Summit Director for GDS International - the global events company behind NG O&G Africa - says: "With over 65 of the corporate and top level decision makers of the operators attending - including the Head of Projects for Tullow Oil, Directors of Sonangol, the VP of Exploration Shell, the VP of BP Angola and the VP Global New Ventures for Statoil - 2012's African Summit promises to eclipse 2011's award winning gathering."

He continues: "The CEOs, VPs and managers of E&P in Africa will be coming together with service providers such as M-I Swaco, Nalco, SAP, Archer and Tenaris to share problems and challenges that they face on a daily basis in operations offshore Angola, Ghana and Nigeria, as well as discussing new frontiers including Tanzania, Namibia, Kenya and Uganda. They will then look for solutions to these issues by meeting and examining services from Nalco, Mi-Swaco, SAP, Tenaris and Archer to increase production and decrease downtime. The NG Oil and Gas summit is poised to surpass last year's event, and is a fantastic opportunity for decision makers looking to progress their business."

For more information, please visit http://www.ngosummitafrica.com

About GDS International

GDS International is one of the most innovative events and media companies worldwide - and a globally renowned producer of business-to-business summits, conferences, online information and advisory group gatherings. Founded in 1993, GDS International specialises in meeting the B2B marketing needs of our clients. Having a strong presence in mature industrial sectors but a finger on the pulse of emerging markets - as well as up-and-coming B2B business verticals - means we are perfectly placed to capitalise on the exciting developments brought about by the advent of a globalised economy. Our value proposition is simple: we deliver tangible business results from world-class events.

http://www.gdsinternational.com

Contact:
Kimberley Hogarth
kimberley.hogarth@gdsinternational.com
+44-1179-261-420