New Producers Group

A collaborative network of over 30 countries built on trust and peer-to-peer exchanges.

The New Producers Group aims to achieve lasting and inclusive development outcomes in emerging oil and gas producer countries. We use a unique, peer-to-peer approach driven by member countries to help governments manage their finite petroleum resources effectively, think beyond oil and gas, and better inform and engage with the public.

Member countries are offered help and expert advice to understand the risks and the opportunities of becoming new oil and gas producers, but also to anticipate the changes of the energy transition.

We believe that governance recommendations gain better acceptance if designed by producer countries. This unique approach helps us develop practical guidelines for making decisions about the structure and rules of the petroleum sector in an imperfect context.

The forum allows us to develop practical tools to support policy implementation and provides us with capacity building, training and mentoring opportunities that take each country’s specific needs into account.

This project helps emerging petroleum producers:

  • Elaborate sound policies to govern their nascent petroleum sectors;
  • Develop a peer-to-peer network through which they can share information with other producer countries;
  • Build capacity at various levels of government and in national oil companies thanks to free training sessions, technical exchanges and mentoring relationships between producer countries;
  • Improve intra-regional cooperation, through workshops that bring emerging and established producers together to share their experiences and lessons learned;
  • Improve understanding of the petroleum sector among national stakeholders thanks to in-country seminars and training sessions. National seminars create a space for a national dialogue on the key objectives of the petroleum sector and its role in the development agenda.

Meetings

The project hosts an annual five-day meeting in one of the member countries, including an international discussion, training sessions and a national seminar for the host country. In-depth thematic workshops are also held throughout the year.

Training

Opportunities for capacity building are offered to member countries through training sessions on a range of different topics. Sessions can last between one and five days.

Research

The co-organising institutions produce research of direct relevance to emerging producers. Member country officials and subject matter experts also develop resources and policy toolkits through our working groups. The group has also collaboratively produced ‘Guidelines for Good Governance in Emerging Oil and Gas Producers’.

Advice

To help emerging producers tackle new policy issues or reform their existing frameworks, peer-to-peer support and expert advice is made available through recommendations, case studies and lessons learned from other producers. Member countries are also able to request help or feedback by contacting our help-desk.

Exchanges

We facilitate bilateral exchanges, mentoring opportunities and secondments to support members with specific technical issues or to develop practical policy tools.

Knowledge sharing platforms

We offer our members a discussion platform to exchange ideas, questions and challenges. We also have a benchmarking platform that supports the government oversight of oil company operations.

Partners and contributors

The project is co-organized by Chatham House, the Natural Resource Governance Institute and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Knowledge partners include: the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Oil for Development (NORAD), Norwegian training group Petrad, the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, the Van Meurs Corporation, Clyde & Co, Swale House Partners, the African Natural Resources Center (at the African Development Bank), Schlumberger and the British Geological Survey.

The New Producers Group is a non-profit initiative, independent from commercial interests. We have benefitted from sponsorship from: the Oil for Development programme, NRGI, Commonwealth Secretariat, Shell, Tullow Oil, Kosmos Energy, ExxonMobil, GNPC and the Petroleum Commission of Ghana, and Ghana Oil and Gas for Inclusive Growth (GOGIG). Our member countries also support our work.