OPEC Secretary General visits Congo’s national oil company

Brazzaville, the Republic of the Congo, 23 August 2021--OPEC Secretary General, HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, accompanied by HE Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua, Minister of Hydrocarbons of the Republic of the Congo, met with Maixent Raoul Ominga, Director General of the Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC), Congo’s national company, during a visit to the company’s headquarters.

Senior officials from the SNPC and an OPEC delegation were present during the visit.

The Director General thanked the Secretary General and Minister for visiting SNPC’s Headquarters.

The Secretary General highlighted the importance of the visit, as well as the mission to Congo.

“It is always a privilege for me to visit one of our 13 OPEC Member Countries and especially the newest – the Republic of the Congo, which became part of the OPEC family in June 2018. You are the Organization’s seventh African Member Country, and this is a reflection of the continent’s rising importance in supplying the world’s oil needs,” he stated, adding, “OPEC is very proud of Congo’s contributions to the oil industry and the successes of SNPC, whose establishment in 1998 introduced an era of expansion, innovation and international partnerships.”

The Secretary General commended the company’s efforts in providing economic and stable supplies of oil.

“You are uniquely positioned to provide an efficient, stable and economic supply to the global marketplace; to grow our industry through cooperation; and to be a driving force in the socio-economic development of our countries,” Barkindo said.

The Secretary General also noted a number of current challenges that are relevant to the oil industry, including low levels of investment and energy poverty.

During the visit, the Secretary General, the Minister, and accompanying delegations were given a detailed presentation on SNPC, its structure, the oil and gas fields it is developing, the size of its workforce, and its share of Congo’s domestic hydrocarbon consumption, among other topics.

A video about OPEC’s 60th Anniversary was also screened during the visit.

The visit is part of the Secretary General’s mission to Congo.