Mozambique LNG Project Moves Ahead
With a second Final Investment Decision (FID) in just 2 years, Mozambique has officially positioned itself as a key player in the global gas and LNG market for years to come.The latest FID on the US$20 billion Mozambique LNG project, makes it the largest sanction ever in sub-Saharan Africa oil and gas.Described by His Excellency President Nyusi as “one of the most important and transformational projects in the country’s history”, Mozambique LNG is set to be a game-changer for this East African nation of 31 million people.According to Wood Mac…
Eni CEO's Wife Under Investigation in Congo Probe
Italian prosecutors are investigating the wife of Eni's chief executive as part of a wider probe into allegations of corruption involving the oil and gas major in Congo Republic, a prosecution document seen by Reuters showed.State-controlled Eni has previously said it was under investigation by Milan prosecutors for corruption in Congo Republic from 2013 to 2015. The company has denied the allegations.Prosecutors told a court this year that five people were being probed, including Eni's former head of sub-Saharan Africa…
Anadarko Approves $20 Bln Mozambique LNG Project
U.S. energy firm Anadarko Petroleum Corp gave the go-ahead on Tuesday for the construction of a $20 billion gas liquefaction and export terminal in Mozambique, the largest single LNG project approved in Africa, according to the government of Mozambique and energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie.The announcement, which occurred at an event in Mozambique, was widely expected after Anadarko last month flagged the decision date. Officials at Anadarko were not immediately available for comment.The project…
Global Energy Investment Totals $1.8trln in 2018
Global energy investment totalled more than USD 1.8 trillion in 2018, a level similar to 2017, said the International Energy Agency (IEA).The investment stabilised in 2018, ending three consecutive years of decline, as capital spending on oil, gas and coal supply bounced back while investment stalled for energy efficiency and renewables.IEA's latest annual review said that for the third year in a row, the power sector attracted more investment than the oil and gas industry.The biggest jump in overall energy investment was in the United States…
Epic Gas Bullish on LPG Carriers Market
Global seaborne liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) volume is expected to grow by over 6% in 2019 and surpass 100 million tonnes for the first time.Singapore based provider of pressurised LPG vessels, Epic Gas said that it is well positioned to benefit from the improving fundamentals of the LPG shipping market.For the fourth quarter of 2018, freight levels for most sizes in the pressurised sector were similar to the stronger levels seen in the third quarter. Rates for the 3,500cbm…
Equatorial Guinea to Offer Ophir's Old Blocks
Equatorial Guinea will offer offshore Block R with the related Fortuna gas development project in the April licensing round, after the concession was reclaimed from Ophir Energy Plc, the oil minister said on Tuesday.Gabriel Obiang Lima told Reuters in Cape Town that Block R would be one of up to 13 deepwater and ultra deepwater blocks offered in the licensing round on April 1.Ophir was denied an extension in December to its licence for Block R and its plan for a floating liquiefied natural gas (LNG) project.
Total Starts Production at Egina Oilfield
Total SA said on Wednesday it had started production from the Egina oilfield off Nigeria's coast, part of a shift by the French energy firm towards deepwater oil and gas projects to its drive cashflow.Output from Egina, which is located in waters about 1,600 metres (5,250 ft) deep, is expected to plateau at 200,000 barrels per day of oil, Total said. That rate is equivalent to about 10 percent of Nigeria's current production."Egina will significantly boost the group's production and cashflow from 2019 onwards…
Ghana Resurrects LNG Import Terminal with Chinese Deals
Ghana has chosen two Chinese companies to build the infrastructure it needs to import liquefied natural gas, resurrecting the $350 million Tema terminal project that would make the country the first in sub-Saharan Africa to buy LNG.Tema LNG, backed by Africa-focused private equity firm Helios Investment, signed deals with China Harbour Engineering Company to build onshore facilities and Jiangnan Shipyard for a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), the Ghanaian government said in a statement issued on Monday.It gave no further financial details of the deals but said $200 million
Offshore Cape Three Points Begins Gas Delivery to Ghana
Vitol said that the Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) integrated oil and gas project offshore Ghana has commenced delivery of gas from the Sankofa field to Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).Both Vitol and GNPC are partners in the OCTP project alongside operator Eni. The offshore project is expected to provide stable supplies of cost effective and environmentally friendly, domestic fuel for the Ghanaian power sector, said Vitol.The estimated net cost of gas to Ghana will be less than $4.5/MMBtu…
Unique Group Enters into West Africa JV
Subsea and offshore solution provider Unique Group said it has formed a joint venture (JV) with Nigeria-based Charkin Maritime & Offshore Safety Ltd, a professional training company for the maritime and offshore oil and gas industries.The newly formed JV, Unique Charkin System Ltd, based out of Port Harcourt in Nigeria, offers a full range of support to the oil and gas market in Nigeria and will further extend services into Sub-Saharan Africa.Although already active in the region for some time…
GE Power Releases Whitepaper on Energy Digitization
GE Power Releases Whitepaper on Digitization of Energy Transmission & Distribution in AfricaAs Africa faces emerging opportunities to help deliver efficient, affordable and reliable electricity to consumers, GE Power’s Grid Solutions business has unveiled a whitepaper on the “Digitization of Energy Transmission & Distribution in Africa.” The paper explores the opportunities and challenges faced in Sub-Saharan Africa as the new future of energy and electrification emerges.
Shell Targets Former Senior Executive in Nigeria Graft Complaint
Royal Dutch Shell has filed a criminal complaint against a former senior employee over suspected bribes in the $390 million sale of an oilfield in Nigeria, where the company is already under investigation over a separate deal. Dutch prosecutors confirmed they had received the complaint against Peter Robinson, a former vice president for sub-Saharan Africa. They said it would be included in an ongoing investigation into Shell and Italy's Eni over the acquisition of a different Nigerian oilfield, known as OPL 245. Shell and Eni deny any wrongdoing related to OPL 245.
South Sudan Eyes OPEC Membership
South Sudan is exploring the benefits of joining the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries as the African nation aims to more than double crude production within 12 months, its oil minister said on Wednesday. The world's newest country has seen its crude output almost halve in recent years, to about 135,000 barrels per day (bpd) currently, amid security concerns and internal strife. Yet South Sudan, which has sub-Saharan Africa's third-largest reserves and is the only mature oil producer in East Africa, has long sought to use its oil wealth to boost its global prominence.
Congo Republic Pledges to Reform State Oil Firm as Seeks Bailout
Congo Republic plans to replace the board of directors and appoint an audit committee at state oil company SNPC, as it strives to improve accountability and convince international lenders to bail out the country. SNPC, which holds equity in fields operated by Italy's ENI and France's Total, has been dogged by allegations of corruption and mismanagement, and the government on Wednesday criticised the "dysfunction" of its current set-up. The reform plans come as the government…
Solar PV Grew Faster Than Any Other Fuel in 2016
New solar PV capacity grew by 50% last year, with China accounting for almost half of the global expansion, according to the International Energy Agency's latest renewables market analysis and forecast. For the first time, solar PV additions rose faster than any other fuel, surpassing the net growth in coal. Boosted by a strong solar PV market, renewables accounted for almost two-thirds of net new power capacity around the world last year, with almost 165 gigawatts (GW) coming online, according to the new report, Renewables 2017 (explore the report here).
African LNG Exports to Get Boost from Offshore Projects
Cameroon plans to begin exporting liquefied natural gas later this year using a newly designed offshore plant that analysts say could slash production costs and unlock African reserves not previously considered economically viable. West and Central Africa's Gulf of Guinea has seen a wave of new oil and gas exploration, particularly since Tullow Oil discovered Ghana's huge Jubilee gas field in 2007. But the cost of pipelines and onshore liquefaction facilities means that relatively few gas finds have been developed.
Oil Production Stages Unlikely Comeback in Congo Republic
As low oil prices hit economies across Africa, one unlikely country is boosting output and attracting major investment that could make it one of the continent's largest producers by next year. Congo Republic, whose oil sector was ravaged by a dip in prices and production since 2014, has been rejuvenated by new projects scheduled to boost output by 25 percent to 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) next year and help an ailing economy hobbled by huge debt, civil unrest and deep-rooted corruption.
Craig Joins Teekay Offshore Board
Teekay Offshore Partners L.P. announced that Ian Craig has accepted an invitation to join Teekay Offshore's Board of Directors, effective June 6, 2017. Craig has served in various executive positions in Shell, most recently in Nigeria where he was Executive Vice President for Sub-Saharan Africa, and in Russia where he was CEO of Sakhalin Energy, an incorporated joint venture of Gazprom, Shell, Mitsui and Mitsubishi. Prior to that, Craig was a Board member and Technical Director of Enterprise Oil plc until its acquisition by Shell in 2002.
Equatorial Guinea Inks Production Deal with ExxonMobil
Equatorial Guinea has signed a production-sharing contract for offshore block EG-11 with U.S. oil major ExxonMobil, the hydrocarbons ministry said on Monday. "Block EG-11 is the jewel among a group of already very prospective blocks that we are signing in 2017," said Gabriel Obiang Lima, the minister of mines and hydrocarbons in Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest producer. ExxonMobil already operates Zafiro field, the largest oil producing field in Equatorial Guinea, and Obiang Lima said the deal was not part of the 2016 licensing round…
Sub-Saharan Africa's Biggest Wind Farm Delayed
The biggest wind farm in sub-Saharan Africa is ready for launch but will remain idle until next year as Kenya's government has not yet installed the transmission lines needed to get the clean power to customers, the provider of the turbines said. Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems installed 365 turbines at Lake Turkana in the hot desert north of the east African country in March, completing construction in less than a year and two months ahead of schedule. The project…
