Ex-Tullow CEO sees fresh African opportunities

Paul McDade sees big opportunities among stranded assets in West Africa for his new company

Former Tullow Oil CEO Paul McDade recently led a buyout of management and significant shareholders at UK upstream independent Sterling Energy, which has since been renamed Afentra. McDade spoke to Petroleum Economist about the relaunched company’s priorities, its African ambitions and the takeaways from his time as Tullow CEO. Afentra—short for African Energy Transition—will employ an acquire and build model focused on producing assets and discovered resources rather than greenfield developments, he explains. The firm will look at asset quality and potential, for instance whether a field’s productive life could be extended in a cost-effective manner, and is “agnostic” about whether particula