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.

Carbon offsets in practice (February 2024)

20th – 22nd February 2024

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

  • Contexte
    • Terminologie
    • Le parcours du changement climatique : de Kyoto à la COP 28
    • Objectifs et engagements des pays et des entreprises
    • ‘Zéro net’ : définitions et implications
    • Comptabilité des émissions : Portée 1, 2, 3
  • Introduction aux crédits carbone
    • Qu’est-ce que les crédits/compensations carbone ?
    • Marchés obligatoires vs volontaires
    • Évitement vs élimination
    • Types de projets éligibles
    • Crédits carbone et GPL
  • Cadre réglementaire
    • Les principales organisations normatives
    • Le marché de l’Article 6.4 des Nations Unies
    • Validateurs de projets
    • Organes de gouvernance et conception de méthodologies
    • Additionnalité
    • Autres acteurs clés dans l’écosystème du projet
    • Critiques et scandales
  • Le marché du crédit carbone en Afrique
    • Taille du marché et répartition géographique
    • Types et échelles de projets
    • Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI)
  • Cycle de vie d’un projet
    • Identification projet
    • Sélection de la méthodologie et calcul des émissions
    • Validation du projet
    • Surveillance, Rapport et Vérification
    • Rapport MRV
    • Octroi et retrait des compensations
  • Études de cas
    • Gambie – Amélioration des cuisinières (ICS)
    • Sénégal – Restauration des mangroves
    • RDC – Prévention de la déforestation (REDD+)
  • Pricing, trading et rentabilité des projets
    • Paysage commercial mondial
    • Principales plateformes, agences de pricing et courtiers
    • Types de contrats et spécifications
    • Millésimes et autres différenciateurs
    • Valeurs typiques par type de contrat
    • Implications pour la rentabilité des projets

Course consultant : James McCullagh, CITAC Executive Director

Oil Product Trading & Operations (May 2024)

20th-24th May 2024

Major changes are sweeping across West Africa: exchange rate dynamics, policy changes, subsidy withdrawal, specification changes and broader liberalisation. These are all having an impact on product flows, freight optimization, operations, financing, and risk management. This course provides essential training to adapt to this new oil product trading environment. New opportunities are appearing – enhance your skillset to take advantage.

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

Oil Product Trading & Operations (June 2024)

10th – 14th June 2024

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

Solving Oil Product Supply Chain Challenges (September 2024)

16th-19th September 2024

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

Oil Product Trading & Operations (November 2024)

4th-8th November 2024

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.

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

Understanding and Adapting Price Structures (November 2024)

19th-21st November 2024

Does your price structures import parity pricing reflect the reality? Where does your Marketer Margin calculation come from?
How to model the Retail Margin?

CITAC’s interactive workshop will give participants an understanding of the principles underpinning import parity and pump
price parity pricing in Africa. Real-life examples from different countries will be analysed with a view to identifying ‘best practice’. Particular attention will be paid to how Importer, Marketer and Retailer Margins are calculated.

This 3 day course (only in french) will cover and discuss the following topics:

  • Background
    • Background: price regulation in Africa and beyond
    • Price Structures : what role do they play
    • Basic principle including cost plus pricing
    • IPP vs Pump Parity
    • Role of the Regulator
  • Import Parity Pricing
    • Base quotes (FOB/CIF) – quality and quantity
    • Freight
    • Insurrance
    • Dead freight
    • Trader margin
    • Ocean-going losses
    • Demurrage
    • Port fees
    • Inspection fees
    • Disport feess
    • Storage fees
    • Importer margin
    • Custom Fees
    • Density
    • Subsidies
    • IPPs and ex-refinery pricing
  • Products
    • Butane
    • Gasoline
    • Kerosene and Jet Fuel
    • Gasoil
    • Fuel Oil
  • Supply chain organisation
  • Pump Price Parity Pricing
    Transportation
    • Supply chain analysis
    • Transport cost breakdown
    • Real Industry Cost (CAPEX, OPEX)
    • Transport equalisation
  • Marketer Margin
    • Fixed and variable cost recovery
    • Marketer-owned assets
    • Working capital
  • Retailer Margin
    • Benchmark service station principle
    • Depreciation and useful economic life
    • Retailer margin
    • Shop margin
    • COCO/CODO/DODO models
  • Tax and Inflation
    • Tax
    • Under-recoveries
    • Inflation

Your Course Consultant: James McCullagh, CITAC Executive Director & Jeremy Parker, CITAC Head of Business Development

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