Chevron Appoints Emmanuelle Garinet as Exploration Director for the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa

Chevron has appointed Emmanuelle Garinet as Director of Exploration for the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa. The role places Garinet in charge of exploration strategy and discovery activities across the two regions. The African Energy Chamber (AEC) said the appointment reflects continued exploration interest in African energy markets.

The African Energy Chamber (AEC) noted that Garinet’s appointment places an executive with extensive experience in African exploration within a senior leadership position at an international oil company. According to the Chamber, this development could contribute to exploration activity across frontier basins and established producing regions in Africa while supporting collaboration between operators and governments.

Exploration activity in Sub-Saharan Africa

Chevron’s portfolio in Africa includes several exploration and production initiatives as the company pursues additional discoveries in offshore and onshore basins.

Namibia has drawn international attention following several 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 License (PEL) 82 between 2026 and 2027. The planned drilling follows earlier exploration activity in the Orange Basin.

In Nigeria, Chevron is expanding its deepwater presence 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 to target resources near the Agbami field as part of its deepwater development plans.

Angola continues to play a major role in Chevron’s regional operations. 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. Gas associated with the project is transported to the Angola LNG plant as part of the country’s gas monetization strategy.

Operations across the Americas

Chevron also maintains a large upstream portfolio across North and South America.

In the United States, the company is continuing to expand production in the Permian Basin, where output is projected to reach approximately one million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2026. The company also maintains deepwater projects in the Gulf of Mexico that contribute to long-term production.

In South America, Chevron holds a position in Guyana’s Stabroek Block through its acquisition of Hess Corporation. The block is considered one of the fastest-growing offshore petroleum areas globally. In Argentina, development in the Vaca Muerta formation continues as part of unconventional resource production in the region.

Exploration career and experience

Garinet has more than three decades of experience in exploration geology and subsurface analysis. She began her career as a geophysicist working on seismic interpretation and subsurface evaluation before moving into management roles overseeing exploration programs.

During her career, she has held leadership positions related to exploration activities across multiple regions, including Nigeria, Gabon and South America. Her tenure at TotalEnergies included the company’s transitions from Elf Aquitaine to TotalFinaElf and later TotalEnergies.

Garinet also led the exploration team responsible for the Venus discovery offshore Namibia, a deepwater oil discovery 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 spoken at the annual African Energy Week conference in Cape Town, where she has discussed exploration technologies, seismic data use, and permitting systems related to new energy projects in Africa.