Reflecting reality in “IPP” and “downstream” price structures in Sub-Saharan Africa: Principles and Methods (March 2026)

17-19 March 2026

This training will be in French and will provide 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

CITAC African Downstream Workshops 2026

16-17 April 2026

The African Downstream Landscape

Africa’s growing population and economies raise critical questions about how the rising energy requirements will be met.

Energy transition, LPG investment, refining, storage, product flows and supply chain challenges are issues that affect all players in the downstream.

CITAC’s interactive workshops on the African downstream energy sector will provide you with actionable insights and discussions to enable you to be an active player in these dynamic developments, discussing business cases and covering topical subjects.

  • International market developments and their impact on the African downstream – Elitsa Georgieva & James McCullagh
  • Managing price structures in a dynamic downstream environment – James McCullagh
  • Supply chain management: how small changes can lead to large cash savings – Bruce Hutchison
  • Is energy transition really changing the African retail sector? – Elitsa Georgieva
  • Asset utilisation in Sub-Saharan Africa – where is investment needed? – Jeremy Parker
  • Where next for African refining? – Jeremy Parker

You will learn about refining, distribution, marketing and financing developments in the African downstream energy sector and will share experiences with pan-African and international companies.

The CITAC African Downstream Workshops offer you an unparalleled forum for networking with key players in the sector, including refiners, marketers, national oil companies, regulators, international and local traders, banks, storage and distribution companies, and more.

African Oil Market Fundamentals (May 2026)

19-21 May 2026

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:

  • Establishing the fundamentals
    • Terms and definitions
    • Crude oil market history
    • Key players: who makes up the market?
    • Geography and the crude oil market
  • Refining
    • Inputs and outputs
    • Crude properties
    • Refinery yields
    • Introduction to refining margins
    • How is money made in Refining
    • Simple vs Complex refining configurations
    • Key upgrading units
    • Refining in Africa: Dangote case study
    • Product specifications
  • Trading and logistics
    • Title & risk
    • INCOTERMS
    • Freight and vessel basics
    • Maritime terminology unpacked
    • Contracts and key terminology
  • Pricing
    • Crude and product pricing basics
    • Price Reporting Agencies and their roles
    • Trading and pricing in Africa: challenges
    • What are OSPs and how do they work?
    • African product price structures: components & calculations
    • The opportunities and difficulties of predetermined margins
  • Supplying
    • Import processes: Tenders & spot purchases
    • Payment terms & credit
  • African oil flows
    • Market evolution: Growth and maturity
    • Product demand outlook
    • Key product trends
    • Urbanisation & the energy challenge
    • Extended supply chains: hinterland markets
    • Challenges: Pricing, infrastructure, stocks
    • Retail: key trends & outlook

Course consultant : Jeremy Parker, Senior consultant

Solving Oil Supply Chain Challenges (July 2026)

6-10 July 2026

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 and half 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

Solving Oil Supply Chain Challenges (October 2026)

28 September – 2 October 2026

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 and half 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

Oil Product Trading & Operations (October 2026)

26-30 October 2026

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

African Oil Market Fundamentals (November 2026)

17-19 November 2026

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:

  • Establishing the fundamentals
    • Terms and definitions
    • Crude oil market history
    • Key players: who makes up the market?
    • Geography and the crude oil market
  • Refining
    • Inputs and outputs
    • Crude properties
    • Refinery yields
    • Introduction to refining margins
    • How is money made in Refining
    • Simple vs Complex refining configurations
    • Key upgrading units
    • Refining in Africa: Dangote case study
    • Product specifications
  • Trading and logistics
    • Title & risk
    • INCOTERMS
    • Freight and vessel basics
    • Maritime terminology unpacked
    • Contracts and key terminology
  • Pricing
    • Crude and product pricing basics
    • Price Reporting Agencies and their roles
    • Trading and pricing in Africa: challenges
    • What are OSPs and how do they work?
    • African product price structures: components & calculations
    • The opportunities and difficulties of predetermined margins
  • Supplying
    • Import processes: Tenders & spot purchases
    • Payment terms & credit
  • African oil flows
    • Market evolution: Growth and maturity
    • Product demand outlook
    • Key product trends
    • Urbanisation & the energy challenge
    • Extended supply chains: hinterland markets
    • Challenges: Pricing, infrastructure, stocks
    • Retail: key trends & outlook

Course consultant : Jeremy Parker, Senior consultant

Oil Product Trading & Operations (December 2026)

30 November – 4 December 2026

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

Are you looking for a particular type of training that’s not on our schedule?

We can collaborate with you to create a unique programme that contains all the answers to your questions about operating successfully in the African downstream energy market.

Our highly experienced trainers are able to create theoretical, practical and interactive training courses to build your team’s capacity. Our wide-ranging expertise covers Africa and global trading, operations, supply chain, LNG, shipping, finance and more.

We can also run any of our regular courses in-house or for you or to any location you choose or online, saving you time, money and travel.

Our areas of expertise :

  • Fundamentals of Oil Trading
  • Oil Trading Risk Management
  • Oil Trading and Operations
  • Product Supply Chain Challenges
  • LNG
  • Price Structures
  • Freight Markets
  • Demurrage
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