(Ecofin Agency) - African downstream oil industry stakeholders met at the Westin Grand Hotel, in Cape Town, in March as part of the African Refiners Association (ARA) week to deliberate on how to strengthen investments in the refining and distribution sectors of all African countries to meet the rising energy demand of a growing continent. Engineering news reports.

The recent decline in oil prices also places more focus on the downstream rather than upstream sector of the oil industry.

ARA is a Swiss-registered nonprofit organization that represents refiners; storage, distribution and marketing companies; and petroleum regulators from across Africa. It held its annual general meeting as part of ARA week.

ARA was formed in 2006 to provide a pan-African voice for the African oil supply, refining and distribution industry. ARA represents not only African refinery members but also many product importers, storage companies, marketers and government regulators. Its yearly conference is the only gathering place for the downstream oil industry in Africa.

The conference however featured key executives in the industry, such as International Energy Agency chief economist and director Dr Fatih Birol, Dangote Group president and CEO Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Vitol Group president and CEO Ian Taylor and African Union Commission, Department of Energy and Infrastructure senior policy officer Atef Marzouk.

Creating an enabling environment for investment in the petroleum product supply chain was one of the main topics of discussion amidst the international refining, trading, distribution and financing experts during ARA week.