As the impact of Coronavirus Disease hits the global oil sector harder, members of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation have been urged to take action in supporting the oil sector.
Making the call on Monday, African Energy Chamber said by taking swift action to allow the movement of oil workers and ensuring their safety, African countries couldcontinue oil and gas operations safely.
The call came ahead of the APPO meeting this week.
The African Energy Chamber urged member countries to consider implementing its Commonsense Energy Agenda and Guidelines for the Movement and Safety of Oil Workers.
While the agenda includes key measures for a short and medium-term recovery of the sector, the guidelines include immediate actions and initiatives that, if taken, could ensure that the year was not entirely lost for oil and gas operations across the continent.
“By taking swift action to allow the movement of oil workers and their safety, African countries can ensure that oil and gas operations continue safely and that the impact on exploration and production is minimised,” said executive chairman at the African Energy Chamber, Nj Ayuk.
As stated within the Chamber’s Commonsense Energy Agenda, an adjustment of work programmes is a major step oil-producing countries should take immediately to give explorers and producers the space to breathe and plan for a strong recovery in 2021.
“Unless African countries engage with operators and investors and let them re-adjust their work programmes, the only solution left for companies will be to declare force majeure or suspend any activity on their block.
“Work programmes adjustments is a major demand of the industry at the moment and key responsibilities need to be waived, so that exploratory and development drilling can only be deferred and not suspended or cancelled,” he added.
