The 12th African Oil, Gas & Minerals Trade and Finance Conference and Exhibition

Malabo, Equatorial Guinea 4 - 7 November 2008

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental institution of the United Nations. The organization's main goals are to maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis.

As part of its programme on energy in Africa, UNCTAD launched the first "Africa Oil and Gas Trade and Finance Conference" in 1996 in Zimbabwe. In response to requests from African countries this event has evolved into an institutionalized annual forum for sharing experiences and debating topical issues at the interface of finance and energy, such as optimal approaches to financing, managing price risks etc. The achievements of this forum are notably increased investment opportunities, and strengthened public-private partnerships as well as promotion of mutual beneficial cooperation. Subsequent locations of this annual gathering have included Côte d'Ivoire, Namibia, Ghana, Cameroon, Angola, Morocco, Mozambique, Algeria, and Kenya.

The 2008 Conference will be held in Malabo Equatorial Guinea. This event will be jointly organized by UNCTAD and the Government of Equatorial Guinea through its Ministry of Mines, Industry and Energy of Equatorial Guinea, in cooperation with Cubic Globe Ltd., strategic partner for the event's marketing and logistics.

The central theme of this year's conference is " Natural Resources for Development". The programme will for the first time feature coverage on topical issues such as exploration contract negotiation, strategic regional storages, LPG & LNG promotion, as well as a mini workshop on African Petroleum Services and Safety (APSS). This workshop is geared towards building a competitive local services industry in Africa's rapidly growing petroleum industry.

Why Equatorial Guinea?

Positioned at the heart of the Gulf of Guinea - one of the world fastest growing regions of hydrocarbon exploration and discoveries - Equatorial Guinea has emerged as a significant actor in the African energy scene and is now the third largest sub-Saharan oil producer after Nigeria and Angola. Despite its small geographical size, EG has attracted a substantial part of FDI to the continent which has contributed in raising GDP to an average real annual growth rate of 15.8 percent between 2002 and 2006. The country's oil income has also risen rapidly. According to the World Bank, oil revenues have skyrocketed in value from $3 million in 1993 to $3.3 billion in 2006.

EG's booming oil, gas and mining industry, combined with its leaders' vision to transform the country's natural resource endowment into wealth for its entire population, makes it an exciting destination for the Annual African Oil, Gas & Minerals Trade and Finance Conference deliberations.

www.unctad.org
www.equatorialoil.com
www.cubicglobe.com