ASABA/Nigeria: Energy giant Chevron has appointed seasoned exploration geophysicist Emmanuelle Garinet as Director of Exploration for the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa, placing a veteran of the global upstream industry in charge of discovery efforts across two of the world’s most strategic hydrocarbon regions.
The appointment, announced in Johannesburg on Friday, has been welcomed by the African Energy Chamber (AEC), which described the move as a positive development for Africa’s exploration sector and a signal of renewed interest in unlocking the continent’s vast untapped energy resources.
In her new role, Garinet will oversee Chevron’s exploration strategy across the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa, directing efforts aimed at identifying new reserves, expanding geological understanding and strengthening collaboration with host governments and industry partners.
According to the African Energy Chamber, appointing an executive with decades of experience in African exploration could help stimulate investment across frontier basins and accelerate the development of new discoveries across the continent.
“Exploration leadership with deep technical expertise and real experience in Africa’s basins is critical as the continent seeks to unlock new resources and attract global investment,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC. “Emmanuelle Garinet brings decades of geological insight and international exploration leadership. Her appointment at Chevron sends a strong signal about the continued importance of African energy development.”
Chevron’s African operations are entering a new phase of exploration-led growth as international oil companies intensify efforts to discover new resources in both emerging frontier basins and established producing regions.
Namibia, in particular, has become one of the most closely watched exploration frontiers following a string of deepwater discoveries in the Orange Basin. Chevron is currently evaluating prospects in the Walvis Basin and plans to drill an exploration well in Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 82 between 2026 and 2027. The campaign follows earlier drilling activities in the Orange Basin and underscores the company’s growing interest in Namibia’s evolving offshore petroleum system.
In West Africa, Chevron is strengthening its deepwater footprint in Nigeria after acquiring a 40 percent stake from TotalEnergies in offshore licences PPL 2000 and PPL 2001. The company is expected to deploy a drilling rig in late 2026 to target resources near the Agbami field as part of its broader deepwater expansion strategy.
Angola also remains a key pillar of Chevron’s African portfolio. In December 2025, the company achieved first oil at the South N’dola platform in Block 0, producing about 25,000 barrels of oil per day using existing infrastructure. Associated gas from the development is being supplied to the Angola LNG plant, supporting the country’s gas monetization programme while helping to reduce gas flaring.
Beyond Africa, Chevron continues to expand its upstream operations across the Americas. In the United States, the company is ramping up production in the Permian Basin, where output is projected to reach around one million barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2026. Deepwater developments in the Gulf of Mexico also remain central to the company’s long-term production strategy.
In South America, Chevron holds a significant position in Guyana’s prolific Stabroek Block through its acquisition of Hess Corporation, giving it a stake in one of the world’s fastest-growing offshore petroleum provinces. Meanwhile, unconventional development in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta formation continues to support the company’s production growth in the region.
Garinet brings more than three decades of experience in exploration geology, subsurface interpretation and upstream leadership to her new role. She began her career as a geophysicist working on seismic analysis and subsurface evaluation before rising through the ranks to manage major exploration portfolios across multiple continents.
During her career, she has overseen exploration programmes in several regions, including Nigeria, Gabon and parts of South America, gaining extensive knowledge of frontier basins and complex geological systems.
Her professional journey also spans the evolution of TotalEnergies from Elf Aquitaine to TotalFinaElf and eventually TotalEnergies, where she held several senior leadership roles.
Among her most notable achievements was leading the exploration team responsible for the Venus discovery offshore Namibia, one of the largest deepwater oil finds in recent years and a project expected to move toward a final investment decision in 2026.
Garinet has also been an active advocate for African energy development and a regular speaker at the annual African Energy Week conference in Cape Town, where she has emphasized the importance of advanced seismic technologies, frontier exploration and efficient permitting systems in unlocking new opportunities across the continent.
Industry stakeholders say her appointment could strengthen collaboration between international operators and African governments while helping to drive new investment into the region’s rapidly evolving energy sector.
