Oil, Gas and PetrochemicalsThe Oil and Gas Value Chain from Exploration to Retail
A barrel of crude passes through more hands than most newcomers to the industry expect, and choices made at one link routinely surprise the next. Delegates follow that barrel, and the gas that comes with it, from licensing rounds and seismic surveys through drilling, field development and production, then into pipelines, tankers and storage, on to the refinery and petrochemical plant, and finally to depots and forecourts. At each stage the course shows who the players are, how money is made, what the main risks look like and which regulator is watching. African settings, from Niger Delta production to East African gas discoveries and Southern African dependence on imported fuel, anchor the picture. By the end, delegates can read industry news, contracts and annual reports with a clear sense of where each activity sits and why it matters to their own role.
Course objectives
- Describe the main stages of the petroleum value chain from licence award to fuel retail
- Explain how exploration risk and geological data shape early investment decisions
- Outline how fields are drilled, developed and brought into production
- Distinguish the roles of national oil companies, international operators, traders and service companies
- Explain how crude and gas move by pipeline, tanker and storage terminal
- Summarise what a refinery does to crude and how petrochemicals extend that value
- Identify where margins are earned and lost across upstream, midstream and downstream
- Interpret common industry terms, price benchmarks and reporting measures
Who should attend
- New graduates and engineers joining an oil or gas company
- Finance, legal and human resources staff working in the petroleum sector
- Government and regulatory officials overseeing petroleum activity
- Procurement and supply chain staff serving operators
- Bankers, insurers and investors with energy exposure
Course outline
- 01Petroleum origins, basins and licensing
- 02Exploration methods and the decision to drill
- 03Field development and production
- 04Midstream: pipelines, shipping and storage
- 05Crude pricing, benchmarks and trading
- 06Refining and the product slate
- 07Petrochemicals and gas monetisation
- 08Distribution, depots and retail
- 09Regulation, fiscal terms and the African landscape
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 to 30 October 2026 | Harare, Zimbabwe | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | |
| 16 to 20 November 2026 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate | |
| 18 to 22 January 2027 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate |
The Oil and Gas Value Chain from Exploration to Retail
From R8,500