Oil & Gas
THE Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN) has announced the winners of its annual Awards, recognizing standout achievements across the global energy sector and celebrating the deals, projects, and individuals shaping the future of international energy negotiation.
Held at the Jaxson on the River in New Orleans on 3 June, the awards highlighted accomplishments in five key categories: Deal of the Year, Discovery of the Year, Venture of the Year, Energy Transition Initiative of the Year, and CSR Campaign of the Year, recognizing achievements from January 1 to December 31, 2025.
Lauren Wilder, Incoming AIEN President, comments, “The AIEN Awards are an important opportunity to recognize the exceptional work being delivered across our global membership. Each year, we see strategic acumen, strong leadership, and impactful collaboration that reflect the very best of the energy industry.”
Deal of the year
The Deal of the Year award recognizes an outstanding and noteworthy M&A transaction and the winner is Chevron’s acquisition of Hess Corporation. The deal added significant low‑carbon‑intensity barrels, long‑term production growth, and deepwater upside. The transaction stands out for its global strategic importance and its role in anchoring Chevron’s future offshore production base.
Venture of the Year
This year’s Venture of the Year has been awarded to Pan American Energy, YPF, Pampa Energia, Harbour and Golar LNG for the Southern Energy FLNG export project. The partnership achieved two critical milestones in 2025: obtaining Argentina’s first long-term LNG export authorization in April and securing a historic 20-year charter for two FLNG vessels in May. This strategic alliance not only de-risks the massive infrastructure investment required but also positions Argentina as a reliable new energy supplier to Europe, validated by the subsequent offtake agreement with Germany’s SEFE.
Discovery of the Year
This award is given to a company that has made a highly significant oil or gas discovery, or an addition to discovered resources through exploration and appraisal activities. For 2026, the award goes to Azule Energy’s Gas Discovery at Gajajeira-01 Well offshore Angola. Azule Energy announced a landmark gas discovery at the Gajajeira‑01 exploration well offshore Angola in July 2025, marking the country’s first dedicated offshore gas well. The discovery confirms a new gas play in a mature basin and represents a significant addition to Angola’s natural gas resource base.
Energy Transition Initiative of the Year
This award recognizes those leading the way in reducing carbon impacts through technology and innovation or creating targets to manage performance and aligning with global energy transition commitments. This year’s winner is ExxonMobil’s commercial CCS startup with CF Industries. ExxonMobil launched its first commercial CCS project in 2025, transporting and permanently storing up to two million tonnes of CO₂ annually from CF Industries’ Louisiana facility. The initiative applies proven subsurface expertise to industrial decarbonization, demonstrates measurable emissions abatement, and supports scalable CCS deployment for heavy industry—key to meeting global net‑zero pathways
CSR Campaign of the Year
This award recognizes organizations that have demonstrated positive influence on surrounding communities, promote teamwork toward sustainable, long-term impacts, and encourage active employee participation beyond financial contributions. This year’s award has been given to ExxonMobil’s STEM Initiative in Guyana. ExxonMobil Guyana’s Local Content & STEM Pathways project in 2025 focused on preparing local students and educators for future careers through hands-on STEM education and workforce exposure. Employees contributed technical expertise, mentoring, and classroom engagement. The initiative strengthened long-term socioeconomic resilience by linking education to local employment opportunities tied to national development goals.
“These awards highlight the transformative projects that are helping to shape the future of energy. This year’s submissions have been remarkable, reflecting the depth of talent, ambition, and progress driving the sector forward,” says Wilder.
A.I
June 5, 2026
Tags: AIEN ExxonMobil