Welcome to The Surge - Your Monthly Shortcut Past the Clutter and Straight to What's Driving Global Upstream Right Now

Breaking News: WES Attendee List Available to Download

In two months’ time, the leaders of global upstream industry converge upon London for the 4th Edition of the World Energies Summit. And the delegate list is now live. Senior operators are joining us alongside government representatives from across the hemispheres, supply chain leaders, and the investors and advisors shaping where upstream capital moves next. These are the cross-industry conversations that lead directly to the next partnership, project or policy discussion - because the right people are actually in the room, not just on the agenda.

To find out who you’ll meet, request a copy of the Attendee List today.

Global Upstream Roundup

The summer headlines from the countries making moves in upstream – including several of those attending the World Energies Summit, where they’ll be sharing their latest updates with our global audience. Find out more about the governments attending the World Energies Summit here.

Greece

Building the Greek frontier upstream story, Block 2 (Ionian / ExxonMobil / Energean / HELLENiQ) has entered its final pre-drill phase, aiming for Greece's first offshore drilling in four decades. Whilst Chevron continues stacking up acreage - already holding four blocks off Crete and the Peloponnese - it is now pursuing a fifth, a 70% stake in a block off southwest Greece. Meet HEREMA at the World Energies Summit

Ecuador

It’s been announced that Ecuador's state oil company, EP PETROECUADOR invested US $340mn in the first half of 2026, just over half of its full-year guidance. That 1H26 spend compares with US $131mn in the year-ago period and reflects the company's upstream push, with US $328mn directed to exploration and production, versus US $109mn in January-June 2025. The stats speak for themselves, with Petroecuador drilling and completing 70 and 49 wells, respectively, in the first half of 2026, compared with 18 and 19 in 1H25. Meet EP PETROECUADOR at the World Energies Summit.

Uruguay

The Uruguayan offshore frontier story continues to build. Shell, Chevron, Eni, APA, QatarEnergy and YPF now hold rights across all seven contracted offshore blocks, with APA expected to spud the first exploration well in late 2026/early 2027, and YPF following in 2027-28 - hopes are that the basin could rival or exceed Argentina's Vaca Muerta. ANCAP will be attending the World Energies Summit – find out more.

Newfoundland and Labrador

The provincial government and the Oil and Gas Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador are advancing a third-phase geoscience study evaluating both known gas reservoirs and high-probability prospects in unlicensed acreage near existing infrastructure, as part of a wider natural gas strategy - tied to a forthcoming 10-year provincial Energy Plan. The province will also see first oil from the West White Rose field project in third-quarter 2026, operator Cenovus Energy has announced. Meet the Oil and Gas Corporation, C-LNOER and the Nova Scotia Department of Energy at WES 26.

Egypt

Last week, parliament approved four new E&P agreements, including a North Sinai onshore block for Perenco, whilst earlier in the month, bp announced it is adding roughly 80 million cf/d of gas from its existing Fayoum North-4 well in the Nile Delta area.

Indonesia/Malaysia

Eni and Petronas officially launched Searah, their 50:50 Indonesia-Malaysia upstream joint venture, in June, combining 19 gas-producing and development assets (14 Indonesian, 5 Malaysian), starting from over 300,000 boe/d and targeting 500,000+ boe/d within three years.

Angola

Eni-BP Azule JV latest. Azule Energy took FID on the $5.1 billion Greater PAJ project on 22-23 June - the ultradeepwater greenfield development across Blocks 31 and 31/21, which is among the most significant such projects in sub-Saharan Africa. Sonangol joins the World Energies Summit agenda – find out more.

Suriname

Saipem has begun offshore work on TotalEnergies' GranMorgu project in Block 58 - Suriname's first large-scale offshore oil development. A new July basin study has identified the strongest oil-generating sweet spot along the Guyana-Suriname margin - reinforcing Suriname as the natural next act after Guyana's boom.

CEO Viewpoint: Has Latin America Become the World's Most Attractive Exploration Region?

Our Founder and CEO, Gayle Meikle, asks whether Latin America has become upstream's most compelling exploration story right now. In this piece, she examines beyond the familiar Guyana/Namibia/Brazil headlines, highlighting Suriname's maturing basin, renewed interest in offshore Argentina, and Uruguay's Orange Basin-style geology, alongside active but lower-profile plays in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Trinidad & Tobago and Bolivia.

Countdown to Rio – 9th September 2026

Frontier convenes its first Latin America Global Upstream Leaders Forum in Rio de Janeiro in September, under the strategic theme “Latin America’s Deepwater Advantage: Scaling a New Era of Supply.”

Sponsored by Viridien, this is a private, high-level gathering exclusive to Frontier Energy Network Members and invited guests, the forum will do what it does best across the globe, providing a trusted setting for candid dialogue, strategic alignment and partnership-building...

Uniting senior government officials, national oil companies, investors and global upstream leaders, we’ll be surfacing the opportunities set to shape the future of energy production across Latin America and beyond

Members and invited guests only – find out more.

Africa Energies Summit 2027 – Ultra Early Bird Registration Ends Today!

Ticket prices for the Africa Energies Summit | Africa’s Premier Global Upstream Conference | 11th - 13th May 2027 rise after today – so if you’re intending to join us, we suggest you secure your place now alongside the leaders shaping the future of Africa's upstream energy sector.

Held in the heart of London from 11-13 May 2027, the Summit brings together senior executives from governments, NOCs, IOCs, independents, financiers and technology leaders to connect, collaborate and get deals done during three days of exclusive content, data and C-suite level networking.

Frontier heads to Houston for IMAGE 2026

Our Founder and CEO, Gayle is looking forward to joining the industry in Houston for IMAGE 2026, where she's been invited to join the Strategic Roundtable Discussion on "Africa as a Strategic Pillar of Global Energy Security: Driving Growth Through Technology, Investment and Strategic Partnerships." She'll be joined by a first-class panel: Carel Hooijkaas (Executive Vice President, TGS), Sotonye Pinnick (Managing Director, NNPC Limited Enserv), Dr Nosa Omorodion (Country Director, SLB), and Thomas F. Matthias (Senior Vice President, CTP - Global Trade Finance, Regions Bank), with Chisom Onubogu (EMBA) of TotalEnergies moderating.

Through PetroInvest by Frontier and the Africa Energies Summit, we work alongside governments and regulators across Africa and globally to promote licensing rounds, engage investors, and help countries present compelling upstream investment opportunities to the international market. This kind of panel is exactly where that work plays out - putting African energy security on the same table as the world's leading operators, financiers and technology providers. If you're attending, reach out to Gayle Meikle if you would like to meet and discuss how we can work together.

Frontier Upstream Insights | Next Session: 7 October 2026

Once again, Frontier Upstream Insights asks the questions industry needs answers to. As energy security climbs every government's agenda, we bring the operators, analysts and strategists together to make sense of it.

Featuring Robin Mills - CEO, Qamar Energy, Ben Cahill – Non Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council, Maria Shagina - Senior Fellow, Geoeconomics Programme International Institute for Strategic Studies, Raad Alkadiri - Managing Partner 3TEN32 ASSOCIATES and Gayle Meikle, Founder & CEO Frontier, with host Daniel Davidson taking questions from the global audience.

Register to attend this LinkedIn Live session.

On the Frontier - Where You’ll Find Us

World Energies Summit – 29th-30th September 2026 - London

The world's premier global upstream conference returns, convening C-suite leaders, regulators and investors for two days of deal-making and strategy. If your basin, your capital or your business-development plan for 2027 needs the right rooms and the right conversations, this is where they happen.

Global Upstream Leaders’ Dinner – 19th November 2026 - Houston

“The Future of Upstream: Redefining Leadership in a Transforming Energy World”. The original Frontier Leaders Forum. We return for our renowned Houston gathering, a high level networking dinner, with keynote address and discussion which will explore how leadership, investment and collaboration are redefining the upstream sector. Members and invited guests only.

Africa Energies Summit – 11th – 13th May 2027 – London

The anchor upstream oil and gas event for the continent, we bring together senior decision-makers from governments, national oil companies, international operators, independents, financiers and service providers for a high-level forum built around strategic dialogue and deal-making. Our unique, relationship-driven format focuses on curated roundtables, closed-door briefings and C-level panels

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