Pre-Salt Exploration Potential for Southern West Africa to be Discussed in December

LONDON, August 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The global oil and gas industry is focused on exploring alternative regions for production, and deepwater pre-salt basins along Africa's South Atlantic coast are a newcomer to the global frontier of exploration that has attracted majors and independents alike.  With an estimated 75 billion barrels of untapped oil worth US$7.5 trillion in today's prices, stakeholders in the region stand to make substantial gains if they exploit these resources effectively.

The West Africa Pre-Salt Forum, taking place December 4-6, 2012 in Windhoek, Namibia, focuses on the opportunities for offshore pre-salt exploration in Angola, Congo (Brazzaville), Namibia, Gabon, DRC and examines why IOCs, NOCs, independents, and many others are lining up to access these significant exploration prospects.

Held under the Patronage of the Ministry of Mines and Energy Namibia, the forum brings together senior exploration, new venture, business development, pre-salt, and subsalt specialists to discuss key opportunities in the region in the form of case studies, providing insights into the potential for substantial discoveries, including:

• Attracting Investments to Namibia's Oil and Gas Industry: projected timescales for a potential licensing round, exploring the country's deepwater pre-salt opportunities and developing a framework for the sustainable management and development of its hydrocarbon resources led by Immanuel Mulunga, Petroleum Commissioner, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Namibia
• Can we Predict Huge Discoveries of Oil and Gas in Pre-Salt Sequences of Angola, Namibia, Gabon and Congo given the Geological Similarities with Brazil's Pre-Salt? Lessons learnt from recent activities in pre-salt E & P deep offshore Brazil led by Dr Marcio Rocha Mello, CEO, HRT Oil & Gas
• Pre-Break up Evolution of South Atlantic Basins and their Exploration Potential? A review of pre-salt geology of the South Atlantic, basin analysis, differences and similarities with the Brazilian margin led by Dr Stefano Mora, West-East Africa New Ventures Manager, Repsol
• Galp Energia - A Multi-Energy Operator with a Taste for Africa: Exploration strategies in Angola's pre-salt and why it's a key growth platform led by Renato de Azevedo, General Manager, GALP E & P Angola
• Vaalco's Experiences of Operating in Gabon: Lessons learnt from the last 17 years, the financial and operational challenges involved and how to overcome them led by Rod MacAlister, General Manager, Vaalco Gabon

For further information, visit http://www.presaltafrica.com or contact Laurence Allen on +44(0)20-3615-0390 or laurenceallen@dmgevents.com