Chevron Taps Emmanuelle Garinet to Lead Exploration Across Sub-Saharan Africa and the America

JOHANNESBURG -- Energy supermajor Chevron has appointed Emmanuelle Garinet as Director of Exploration for the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa, bringing one of the upstream industry’s most experience exploration geophysicists into a strategic leadership role overseeing discovery efforts across two of the world’s most important hydrocarbon regions.
The African Energy Chamber (AEC) – as the voice of the African energy industry – welcomes the appointment, with Garinet’s move to Chevron serving as a positive signal for Africa’s exploration sector. For the Chamber, placing an executive with decades of African exploration experience at the helm of a major international oil company’s discovery strategy could help unlock new investment across frontier basins, accelerate geological understanding and strengthen collaboration between operators and host governments.

Expanding Exploration Across Sub-Saharan Africa

Chevron’s African portfolio is entering a new phase of exploration-led growth as international energy companies continue to pursue new discoveries across frontier basins and established producing hubs.

Namibia has emerged as one of the most closely watched exploration regions in the world following a series of major deepwater discoveries in the Orange Basin. Chevron is currently evaluating prospects in the Walvis Basin, where the company plans to drill a new exploration well in PEL 82 between 2026 and 2027. The campaign follows earlier drilling in the Orange Basin, reflecting the company’s continued interest in Namibia’s rapidly evolving offshore petroleum system.

In West Africa, Chevron is expanding its deepwater presence in Nigeria after acquiring a 40% stake from TotalEnergies in offshore licenses PPL 2000 and PPL 2001. The company is expected to deploy a drilling rig in late 2026 targeting resources near the Agbami field as part of a broader deepwater growth strategy.

Angola remains a cornerstone of Chevron’s African portfolio where, in December 2025, the company achieved first oil at the South N’dola platform in Block 0, producing approximately 25,000 barrels of oil per day using existing infrastructure. Associated gas from the project is routed to the Angola LNG plant, supporting the country’s gas monetization strategy while reducing flaring.

For the AEC, these developments highlight the continued importance of exploration in unlocking new energy resources across the continent while supporting regional economic growth and energy security.

Americas Portfolio Provides Additional Growth

Beyond Africa, Chevron maintains a large upstream portfolio across the Americas.

In the U.S. the company continues expanding production in the Permian Basin, where output is projected to reach around one million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2026. Deepwater developments in the Gulf of Mexico also remains a key component of Chevron’s portfolio, contributing to long-term production growth.

In South America, Chevron’s position in Guyana’s prolific Stabroek Block – obtained through the company’s acquisition of Hess Corporation – places it within one of the world’s fastest-growing offshore petroleum provinces. Meanwhile, unconventional development in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta formation continues to support production growth in the region.

A Career Built on Global Exploration

Garinet’s career reflects more than three decades of experience in exploration geology, subsurface interpretation and international upstream leadership.

She began her career as a geophysicist, working on seismic analysis and subsurface evaluation before moving into management roles overseeing large exploration portfolios. Over time, she held senior leadership positions across multiple continents, including roles managing exploration programs in Nigeria, Gabon and South America.

Her tenure at TotalEnergies also spanned the transformation of the company from Elf Aquitaine to ToalFinaElf and ultimately TotalEnergies.

One of her most notable achievements was leading the exploration team behind 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.

“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,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, 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.”

Garinet has also been a prominent advocate for African energy development and has frequently spoken at the annual African Energy Week conference in Cape Town, where she has highlighted the role of advanced seismic data, frontier exploration and efficient permitting systems in unlocking new opportunities across the continent.