African energy veteran Tim O’Hanlon will receive the Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, recognizing more than four decades of work across Africa’s exploration, investment and energy markets.
O’Hanlon, Senior Adviser at Panoro Energy, has built a career spanning almost the entire African continent, contributing to frontier exploration, license negotiations, company development and relationships between international investors and African governments.
His career began at Schlumberger, now SLB, after postgraduate studies in Reservoir Engineering at Imperial College London. In the mid-1980s, he joined the founding team of Tullow Oil and was initially based in Senegal, where he managed the company’s onshore oil and gas production activities.
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He later became Tullow’s Vice President for Africa, helping guide the company’s transformation from a small independent into a major exploration player on the continent. His responsibilities included license negotiations, acquisitions such as Energy Africa and Hardman Resources, and expansion into frontier basins.
During more than 33 years at Tullow, O’Hanlon became known within the industry as “Tullow’s Monsieur Afrique.” He has visited 53 of Africa’s 54 countries and engaged with numerous African heads of state, reflecting the breadth of his involvement in the continent’s energy sector.
Since leaving Tullow in 2020, O’Hanlon has continued supporting Africa-focused investment through his role at Panoro Energy. The company has expanded its African portfolio, including strengthening its position in Equatorial Guinea through the acquisition of Kosmos Energy’s interests in the Ceiba Field and Okume Complex in 2026.
Panoro has also expanded its operations in Côte d’Ivoire through an interest in producing Block CI-27 and is advancing further development opportunities in Gabon. Its Dussafu Marin Permit was extended in 2026, potentially through 2053, while additional appraisal and development drilling is planned around the MaBoMo and Hibiscus areas.
The company is also assessing opportunities elsewhere in Africa, including Angola, where O’Hanlon recently highlighted the country’s fiscal terms and growing competition for investment.
Beyond Panoro, O’Hanlon joined the OREGEN Energy Strategic Advisory Board in 2025, supporting the company’s efforts to expand exploration opportunities in the Orange Basin.
African Energy Chamber Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk described O’Hanlon as a figure whose professional career has been closely connected with the development of modern African exploration, highlighting his work in frontier markets and his efforts to connect investors with opportunities across the continent.
The Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented during the AEW 2026 Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony, taking place during African Energy Week from October 12 to 16. The event will recognize individuals and organizations contributing to the development of Africa’s energy sector.