Biography: Oil and Gas

Ken Etim is a partner with Banwo & Ighodalo, a multidisciplinary firm with offices in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria; which provides first-class legal advice on numerous aspects of corporate and commercial Nigerian law. Admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1991 and into the firm's partnership in 2000, Ken has been involved in nearly all of the firm's energy deals.

He has advised on a wide range of transactions, including the Brass multi-billion dollar LNG project; the multi-million dollar acquisition by Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited and Petrolin Group of Switzerland, of a 45% participating interest in OML 34; the Oil Producers' Trade Section of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry's comprehensive review of the Petroleum Industry Bill.

Ken advised Sahara Energy Field Limited in relation to its upstream assets, which include marginal fields and oil blocks in onshore and deep offshore Nigeria and oil blocks in the Nigeria/Sao Tome and Principe JDZ; and is presently advising Sahara on raising financing for the joint development of its Oki field lying within OPL 274 Onshore Nigeria.

Other transactions in which Ken has been involved include Lekoil Limited's bid to acquire interests in oil & gas assets, including participating interests in OML 30 and the O'Brien Energy Group, a US major's proposed implementation establishment of downhole projects in Nigeria.

Ken is a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN), and has authored many articles in leading publications and delivered presentations on diverse subjects. His hobbies include playing and watching football and travelling.