The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) have officially confirmed their support for the upcoming Offshore West Africa 2013 Conference & Exhibition by agreeing to Host the event taking place at the International Conference Centre, Accra, Ghana on 19‐21 March. Offshore West Africa, the premier conference and exhibition for the offshore oil and gas exploration & production industry within West Africa, is pleased to once again work closely with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation in this exciting and growing offshore market within West Africa. Under the Patronage of the Ministry of Energy, Republic of Ghana, and Endorsed by the Petroleum Commission Ghana, the 17th annual Offshore West Africa will once again address key technology and development issues for the West African offshore oil and gas market, through a comprehensive educational program and three‐day exhibition, under the theme – Deepwater Discoveries, Emerging Opportunities. Sponsored by Tullow Oil, Schlumberger, ABS, Shell, Modec, NNPC, 2H Offshore, Hewlett Packard, Lloyd’s Register, Aker Solutions, Petroleum Technology Development Fund and Lufkin, as well as being supported by the Society for Underwater Technology, SPE Ghana, African University for Science & Technology, Ghana Oil Club, Lagos Oil Club and the Angola‐US Chamber of Commerce, Offshore West Africa 2013 is on track to be one of the most successful in it’s 17 year history. The Offshore West Africa 2013 conference provides a unique networking opportunity for attendees to share technology and address issues with experts in their respective fields. The 2013 conference program includes two parallel tracks packed with new technologies, case studies, original concepts and other exclusive local content. Offshore West Africa 2013 will begin with the Opening Plenary, taking place in the Congress Hall at the International Conference Centre, Accra, Ghana on Tuesday 19 March 2013 with a Welcome & Introduction and Chairman’s Remarks from Mr. Theo Ahwireng, Geophysics Manager, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, followed by Ministry Welcomes by Dr. Joe Oteng‐Adjei, Honorable Minister of Energy, Ghana and His Excellency Mr. Jose Botelho de Vasconcelos, Minister of Petroleum, Angola, and local content perspective by Dr. Juliette Twumasi‐Anokye, Legal Advisor, Petroleum Commission, Ghana. This will be followed by the Exhibition Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. After the Opening Plenary and Ribbon Cutting there will be an Opening Debate, which will take place under the topic of "Exploring the Dynamics of West Africa Offshore", chaired by Mr. Theo Ahwireng, Geophysics Manager, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation and including presentations such as Deepwater Project Economics: A Comparative of Fiscal Regimes in the Gulf of Guinea ‐ Prof. Omuwumi Iledare, Louisiana State University; Offshore West Africa Project Performance ‐ Mr. Rolando Gachter, IPA; and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil & Gas Resources Offshore West Africa ‐ Mr. Michael Brownfield, U.S. Geological Survey. Technical topics at Offshore West Africa 2013 include Well Construction & Drilling Operations, Field Development, Flowlines & Pipelines, Riser Technology, Floating Production Systems, Production Optimization, Geology & Geophysics, Subsea Technology, Safety & Environmental Concerns and Local Content. Combining a world class conference and a high‐level exhibition floor full of companies demonstrating their latest technological advances, Offshore West Africa 2013 is one event sure to be high on the agenda of anyone involved with the West African oil and gas exploration and production industry. Exhibitors at Offshore West Africa 2013 currently include Shell, Tullow Oil, ABS, Aker Solutions, Baker Hughes, DNV, NOV, Endress+Hauser, InterMoor, Lloyds Register, Modec, Petroleum Commission, PETAN, Mustang Wood Group, Schlumberger and Oil Spill Response to name but a few. With activity within West Africa expected to increase significantly, this high‐quality technical forum provides a unique networking opportunity for attendees to share and learn from experts in their respective fields.