The Director General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria has called on African Countries to adopt technology driven upstream petroleum operations. This, he said, would ensure Africa remains competitive in the global upstream petroleum space. He was speaking during a panel discussion on the role of technology and innovation in accelerating natural oil and gas development during the ongoing Africa Oil Week conference in Accra-Ghana.
Representing Kenya’s growing voice in the continental upstream petroleum discourse, Kiptoo underscored the critical role of technology and data in transforming approaches in upstream petroleum operations across Africa.
“We must harness the power of technology and innovation to enhance efficiency in the management of upstream petroleum resources,” said Kiptoo.
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He further stressed that for Africa and Kenya in particular, technology offers a strategic path towards improving operational efficiencies but also deepening energy access and stimulating demand for oil and gas products in a sustainable manner.
“Technology will play a central role in ramping up demand and ensuring that access to energy becomes equitable across the continent,” he added.
In a separate panel discussion where discussants spoke about opportunities in the upstream petroleum space across East Africa, Eng. Edward Kinyua, the EPRA Director of Petroleum and Gas said that the Authority continues to work towards ensuring an enabling regulatory environment that supports operations in the Country.
“We recently exposed seven draft upstream and midstream petroleum regulations to public participation. These Regulations once gazetted will ensure a transparent and predictable regulatory environment while ensuring environmental responsibility, and enhancing investor confidence,” said Eng. Kinyua.
He said that Gulf Energy is expected to submit a Field Development Plan (FDP) for the South Lokichar Basin for Regulatory review marking a critical way forward for Kenya’s upstream operations. Eng. Kinyua further disclosed that EPRA is in the process of establishing a petroleum data center, adding that Kenya already has a strong governance structure for data management, which will enhance access to information for investors and policymakers.
Africa Oil Week is the continent’s platform for energy leaders, policymakers, and investors, offering a unique opportunity to engage in Africa’s evolving energy future.
About EPRA
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) is established under the Energy Act, 2019 as a single-sector regulatory agency responsible for economic and technical regulation of the electricity, renewable energy, petroleum sub-sectors, and coal. The core mandates of the Authority include tariff setting and review, licensing, enforcement, dispute resolution, approval of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and Network Service Contracts. The Authority is also mandated to oversee the regulation of the upstream petroleum and gas sectors. Read more about EPRA on https://www.epra.go.ke/about/
