Comprehensive training courses for your African downstream energy activities.


CITAC training courses will equip you with the necessary competencies and practical solutions you need to gain a full understanding of the African downstream market, improve your performance and reduce your risks.

Choose from a wide range of courses for the downstream industry covering trading, operations, finance, supply chain, LNG, shipping and more.

Held throughout Africa, all our training courses are led by highly experienced trainers, who are all leaders in their respective fields.
Language: French
Lomé, Togo

Reflecting reality in “IPP” and “downstream” price structures in Sub-Saharan Africa: Principles and Methods (February 2025)

4th-6th February 2025

This training will be in French and will provides participants with a deep understanding of the “import parity” and “pump parity” models in Africa, including how they are administered in specific markets. Participants will learn to understand and identify anomalies in comparison to industry best practices, as well as propose solutions.

Course consultant : James McCullagh, CITAC Executive Director

Language: French
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Oil Product Trading & Operations (May 2025)

19-23 May 2025

This five day course (in French) will cover and discuss the following topics:

  • New market dynamics
    • Impact of Dangote refinery
    • Effect of new exchange rate regime
    • Rewiring of smuggled product
    • Introduction of new product specifications
  • Pricing in oil markets
    • Benchmarks and differentials
    • Price makers and price takers
  • Trading oil
    • Market participants
    • Oil contracts and clauses
    • Product quality
    • Deal negotiations
  • Refining industry
    • Refining economics
  • The operations process
    • Documentation
    • Role obligations and rights
    • Letter of credit
    • Letter of indemnity
    • Cargo inspection
    • Areas of contention
    • Breach
    • Dispute resolution
  • The shipping market
    • Chartering
    • Freight costing and worldscale rates
    • Vessel vetting and nomination
    • AFRA rates and demurrage

This course is designed for those interested in gaining a thorough understanding of the
International oil trading business.

Course consultant : Christopher Heilpern, Business and Training consultant

Language: English
Accra, Ghana

Solving Oil Supply Chain Challenges (June 2025)

9-12 June 2025

Intense competition and razor thin margins put supply chain efficiency at the core of a profitable supply and distribution
business.
CITAC’s course ‘Solving Oil Product Supply Chain Challenges’ introduces analytical methods for identifying areas for improvement as well as covering industry best practise.

During this 4 day course, participants cover topics such as risk assessment, optimal product sourcing, contractual technicalities, KPI analysis and more, with case studies included to contextualise the knowledge.

  • Assessment of the Market
    – International & African market developments
    – A focus on African oil product supply & demand
    – Oil market infrastructure in Africa
    – Key market players & strategies in Africa
    – Most common supply chains
  • Supply Chain Strength
    – Supply & demand balancing
    – Volume vs margin
    – Demand planning
    – Inventory optimisation
    – Knowing your costs, capacity and capability
    – Risk assessment
    – Scheduling and replenishment planning
    – Profitability analysis
  • Supply Planning – Product Sourcing
    • Manufacturing : How each product is made / Key product specs & what in influences them
    • Introduction to refinery margins
    • Imports: pricing and freight : Price references, base quotes & value of premia-discounts / Pricing mechanisms / Introduction to world scale, premia & shipping freight
    • Imports:  contractual terms / CIF, CFR, FOB, DET / Title risk / Demurage / Quality & Quantity
    • Optimal Sourcing
  • Sales and Operations Planning
    • Purpose & value
    • Key process ingredients
    • Ownership & stakeholders
    • Key activities
    • Design & work flow
    • IT and information sharing
    • Metrics & KPIs
    • Linkage to business & strategic planning
    • Roll up to global S&OP
  • Strategic Impact
    • Supply chain SWOT
    • Competitor analysis
    • Customer value proposition
    • Portfolio concept
  • Case Study/Simulation
    • Gap analysis
    • Building a benefits case

Your Course Consultant: Bruce Hutchison, Business and Training consultant

Language: English
Abuja, Nigeria

African Oil Market Fundamentals (October 2025)

7-9 October 2025

Major changes are sweeping across West Africa: exchange rate policy changes, subsidy withdrawal, specification changes and broader liberalisation. This course provides essential training to adapt to this new oil product trading environment. New opportunities are appearing – enhance your skillset to take advantage.

The course will cover:

  • Global crude and products market fundamentals
    • Crude and products markets overview: supply, demand, flows
    • Supply and demand economics & market drivers
    • Understanding the market players & their roles
    • International trading of crude oil and crude evaluation
    • A non-technical introduction to refining
    • A Trader’s view of refining
    • Quality differences around the globe
  • African price structures in an international context
    • Pricing in oil markets and price discovery
    • Pricing agencies
    • Benchmarks
    • Contract types, incoterms and issues
      – Spot / Term
      – Spot / Forward
      – FOB / CIF

      • Fixed versus floating
      • African pricing: benchmarks & differentials
      • Moving the oil (the shipping process)
      • Vessel types and standards
      • Understanding and calculating freight costs (Worldscale, Flat Rates, AFRA)
      • Price structures & regulatory distortions
      • Currency dynamics
      • Import parity pricing vs downstream pricing
  • Operations
    • Chartering and charterparty basics
    • African refining landscape: new additions, Dangote
    • Importing products into Africa
    • Vessel scheduling & demurrage
    • Tenders (term and spot)
    • Pricing options
    • Credit
    • Inland logistics
    • Retail & B2B dynamics

Course consultant : Jeremy Parker, Senior consultant

Language: English
Accra, Nigeria

Oil Product Trading & Operations (November 2025)

24-28 November 2025

CITAC’s Trading and Operations Course gives an insight into the crude oil and products trading markets and the operations and control of supply contracts, including shipping.

This five day course will cover and discuss the following topics:

  • New market dynamics
    • Impact of Dangote refinery
    • Effect of new exchange rate regime
    • Rewiring of smuggled product
    • Introduction of new product specifications
  • Pricing in oil markets
    • Benchmarks and differentials
    • Price makers and price takers
  • Trading oil
    • Market participants
    • Oil contracts and clauses
    • Product quality
    • Deal negotiations
  • Refining industry
    • Refining economics
  • The operations process
    • Documentation
    • Role obligations and rights
    • Letter of credit
    • Letter of indemnity
    • Cargo inspection
    • Areas of contention
    • Breach
    • Dispute resolution
  • The shipping market
    • Chartering
    • Freight costing and worldscale rates
    • Vessel vetting and nomination
    • AFRA rates and demurrage

This course is designed for those interested in gaining a thorough understanding of the
International oil trading business.

Course consultant : Christopher Heilpern, Business and Training consultant

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