The coming year looks to be a busy one. New oil and natural gas discoveries in East and West Africa are drawing global attention while the continent’s mining industry has some hard decisions to make concerning low commodity prices and unstable power sources.

That’s the backdrop of 2015’s upcoming African oil, gas and mining conferences.

Because some organizers combine both oil & gas and mining into one “extractive industry” conference, we’ve offered all the upcoming conferences in both categories in one quick-reference chronological list.

Also check out our 2015 Africa Electric Power Conferences and 2015 Africa Business and Industry Conferences lists.

Oil, Gas and Mining Conferences

19^th annual Offshore West Africa (Jan. 20-22, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria) More than 1,500 offshore professionals and key decision makers are expected at this three-day conference and exhibition, which includes sessions on field development, production optimization, sub-sea technology, asset integrity and regional trends. The 2015 event will then close with the traditional Awards Ceremony.

Middle East and North Africa Energy (Jan. 26-27, London) This conference will deliver expert insight into the political, social and market developments affecting opportunities for oil and gas producers across the MENA region, including sessions on: leadership and security across the region; oil and gas production and emerging market dynamics; rising domestic energy demand and implications for the regions exporters; and political developments.

Investing in African Mining Indaba (Feb. 9-12, Cape Town) African Mining Indaba brings together the private sector, international investment community and African governments to discuss challenges and opportunities for foreign investments into Africa’s mining sector – ranging from small diamond deposits to mammoth coal projects. The conference is expected to attract over 7,000 investors, mining executives and government officials from more than 110 countries.

4^th East Africa Oil & Gas Summit (Feb. 9-10, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) This Summit is the leading conference and exhibition on the latest in East Africa’s booming oil & gas sector, drawing over 250 delegates for the networking opportunities.

African Extractives: New Actors and Alliances to Overcome Enduring Challenges (March 16-17, London) This conference will ask the key questions of the future of the extractive industry, including: technological, demographic and democratic changes affecting Africa’s extractive industries; actions required to mitigate long-term environmental impacts; and the economic potential of resource wealth.

Nigeria Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition (March 16-19, Abuja, Nigeria) Under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), this is the established meeting place for the entire Nigerian oil and gas value chain from Ministries and government organizations to leading international and indigenous producers and service providers.

Africa Future Energy Forum (March 18-19, Nairobi) Themed as “Unlocking Africa’s Energy Potential” and co-hosted by Global Energy Initiative, this forum will discuss the policy, technology and financing viability of business and investment across the all African energy sectors without focusing on the ideological debate of fossil fuel versus renewable energy.

Upstream West Africa 2015 (March 22-24, Accra, Ghana) Billed as the “Road Map to the Next Major Oil and Gas Discovery in West Africa,” this conference draws representatives from West Africa’s governments and national and international oil companies, including GNPC, Hess, Tullow Oil, NNPC, Shell Nigeria, ExxonMobil, Statoil, Chevron, Total E&P Nigeria, Oando, Frontier Oil, African Petroleum and more.

Accessing Africa’s Mineral Wealth 2015 (March 24-25, Johannesburg) Organized by the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, “Mining Transport Infrastructure & Logistics” is the theme this conference tackles, including design, finance and funding mining transport infrastructure

6^th Ghana Oil & Gas Summit (April 21-23, Accra, Ghana) This government-led conference and exhibition is a gathering of leading industry professionals endorsed by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation and the Petroleum Commission to showcase opportunities and stimulate investment into Ghana’s oil, gas and power sector.

2^nd Congo International Mining Conference & Exhibition (April 22-24, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo) Organized by the Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Mines & Geology, this event builds on the success of last year’s conference that drew over 500 participants and 41 exhibitors. This year’s theme is “Congolese Economic Growth: Outlook for an Integrated and Sustainable Development in the Mining Industry.”

Africa Upstream and Downstream Conference (April 22-23, Abuja, Nigeria)

This conference attracts global and local petroleum executives, engineers, investors and other specialists for a series of interactive sessions to discuss the industry’s growth potential and provide new insights and strategies to help manage industry-related challenges in the region.

4^th East Africa Oil & Gas Expo 2015 (April 27-29, Nairobi) This 3-day conference will offer participants the opportunity to explore the industry’s latest technologies and investment opportunities while networking with key figures from the region’s oil and gas sector. The expo brings together regional trade bodies from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Somalia, Mozambique and Congo.

8^th Annual Sub-Saharan Africa Oil & Gas Conference (April 29- 30, Houston) This U.S. conference offers a forum where top government officials, national oil companies from Sub-Saharan Africa, independent exploration companies, investors and private equity firms to exchange ideas on new opportunities. It also offers a platform for exhibiting and discussing case studies and best practices.

2^nd Uganda Mining, Energy and Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition (May 20-21, Kampala, Uganda) This event is organized by Uganda’s Ministry of Energy & Mineral Development as a platform to discuss issues concerning future development of Uganda’s oil, gas and mineral resources. Last year saw over 220 delegates, 32 exhibiting companies and over 40 presentations.

Petro.t.ex Africa 2015 (May 20-22, Johannesburg) This biennial event provides a platform for exploring new developments, technological innovations, market trends and challenges facing the petroleum industry in Southern Africa. Organizers expect a “who’s who” of the “downstream industry,” including senior management from major oil companies, refinery operators, government representatives, fuel wholesalers and retailers, industry associations and financiers.

12^th Africa Independents Forum (May 26-28, London) The Africa Independents Forum – followed by another during Africa Oil Week (see below) – gathers together independent oil and gas developers to provide exposure to key financial markets, equity financiers and investors. The Forum focuses on new players with assets in the Gulf of Guinea, Northwest, Eastern and Southern Africa.