Africa’s first SPE health, safety, and environment (HSE) conference took place 15–17 September at the Polana Serena Hotel in Maputo, Mozambique.
With the support and participation of Mozambique’s national oil company, Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos, and the Instituto Nacional de Petróleo (National Petroleum Institute), the continent’s first SPE HSE conference hosted 120 delegates from 17 countries who shared knowledge and experience on matters relating to health, safety, security, environment, and social responsibility. Members of the recently established SPE Maputo Section volunteered their efforts to ensure the conference’s success.
Aligning with the conference’s theme of “Protecting People and the Environment: Getting It Right for the Development of the Oil and Gas Industry in Africa,” panel sessions focused on topics of regional importance such as Ebola, safety, cultural heritage, and the challenges associated with oil and gas projects in or around historical or archaeological sites. Industry experts presented approximately 30 papers over the course of nine technical sessions.