Algeria's Energy Future was launched at a half-day round-table seminar at Chatham House, London, on Wednesday 6 April.
The report was presented at the seminar by its lead authors, Jon Marks and John Hamilton, and critically assessed by Algerian and international experts. Read more
The African Energy Atlas has established itself as an indispensable resource for energy industry professionals.
The 2011 edition features more than 45 maps and charts drawn with expert care by journalist cartographer David Burles. Read more
Briefings and Reports 2
AfricaHardball is an executive dialogue that brings together policy-makers, industry leaders and analysts to discuss the key political issues affecting African markets in frank and open terms.
The next AfricaHardball roundtable will be held on 1 December in London, focusing on North Africa Read more
Briefings and Reports 3
A detailed and frank analysis of Libya’s energy sector
Published in July 2010, Libya's Energy Future provides authoritative, independently sourced analysis of Libya’s energy sector policy and history, examines the country’s governance and financial record and assesses the potential for international partners to do business with its institutions and interest groups.
On the page below you will find a selection of articles from the African Energy archive. All links preceded by a padlock symbol require a subscription.
Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) has said that the government’s decision to create a new transmission company will not affect the value of its shares. In a story headlined “KPLC split could shrink its stock”, the Daily Nation reported on 13 October that the transfer of assets to the new entity would reduce its asset base and affect the value of its shares, but KPLC issued a statement refuting the article’s claims. Issue 149, 31 October 2008. more
EAX farms into Lion’s Block 1
East African Exploration (EAX) has farmed into Lion Petroleum’s 33,000km2 Block 1, taking over the operatorship with the right to earn up to 80% equity. The deal still requires formal approval from the Ministry of Energy but will involve an extensive and accelerated exploration work programme, including extensive gravity and magnetic surveying and up to 1,200km of 2D land seismic in two phases. Issue 148, 17 October 2008. more
Small hydro plant to extend Sondu Miriu
Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has signed contracts for the construction of a 20MW hydro power station to be built 5km below the Sondu Miriu site on the Sondu River in Nyanza Province (AE 127/8). The Ksh4.6bn ($65m) Sangoro plant will be built by China’s SinoHydro Corporation, with Japan’s Nippon Koei as consultant. Construction is due to start in November and take 36 months. Issue 146, 22 September 2008. more
Lamu drilling partners sought
BG Group bid target Origin Energy has won a six-month extension to the first additional period for the production sharing contracts for Lamu basin Blocks L8 and L9 and is looking for more farm-in partners.The two joint ventures of Origin Energy (75%), Pancontinental Oil and Gas (10%) and Pancontinental subsidiary Afrex (15%), now have until 21 January to commit to entering the second additional period, which requires the drilling of an exploration well in Block L8 and the acquisition of 3D seismic in Block L9 in the first year. Issue 145, 5 September 2008. more
High hopes for oil seeps
A satellite oil seep survey over Origin Energy’s Blocks L8 and L9 in the Lamu Basin has examined surface evidence of hydrocarbon seepage from the sea floor, Pancontinental Oil & Gas (PCL) said. Issue 144, 1 August 2008. more
Mombasa refinery saga drags on
The saga over the choice of private partners for the Mombasa refinery shows little sign of a swift resolution as government factions squabble over Libya’s Tamoil Africa Holdings and India’s Essar Oil and Gas as their partner of choice (AE 138/19). Though a compromise to give Tamoil and Essar each a 25% stake in Kenya National Petroleum Refineries Ltd is still on the negotiating table, the Libyans are pressing their backers in the Kenyan Treasury to give them a greater share in the ageing refinery. Issue 144, 1 August 2008.more
Tariffs rise, KPLC to split
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has raised tariffs for the first time since 1999. Tariffs vary depending on the consumer category, but the ERC said they represented an average increase of about 24%. Since July 2006, the government has been subsidising Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) by paying 60 cents per unit of electricity supplied by KenGen, but this subsidy ended on 30 June. Issue 142, 4 July 2008. more
Woodside in dispute over Lamu drilling
Woodside Energy’s partners in the Lamu basin have told the Australian company they are terminating its farm-in agreement (FIA) because it refused to drill a second well after the failure of the deep-water Pomboo well, Australia’s Global Petroleum said. Issue 140, 6 June 2008. more
KPLC to end Manitoba Hydro’s management contract
The government has opted not to renew the management contract granted to Manitoba Hydro International to run Kenya Power & Lighting Company (KPLC). The Canadian company started its two-year contract in July 2006, and met the ambitious target of 120,000 new customer connections for the first year, which included intensive rural electrification. Issue 137, 25 April 2008. more
Seismic boom in onshore blocks
Undaunted by Woodside Petroleum’s dry offshore well, Kenya’s other explorers are busy acquiring seismic over their acreage. National Oil Corporation of Kenya managing director Mwendia Nyaga told Global Pacific’s African Petroleum Forum a seismic crew contracted by China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) was currently on the ground shooting 229km2 of 3D seismic. Issue 137, 25 April 2008. more
Bamburi Cement to increase biomass use
Bamburi Cement Group is to increase its use of biomass fuel to counter the effects of high oil prices. Lafarge, Bamburi’s parent company, has committed to cutting carbon emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2010. Issue 135, 28 March 2008. more
Profits drop at KenGen, rise at KPLC
Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) registered a 38% fall in net profit to $25.8m for the six months to December 2007, despite an 8.2% rise to $86m in production revenue. Management attributed the fall in earnings in large part to a fixed-asset revaluation, which led to higher depreciation charges. Issue 134, 7 March 2008. more
Artumas’ gas export plans win president’s backing
Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete has given his support for plans by Artumas Group to export compressed natural gas to Kenya, signalling an apparent change of heart by the Tanzanian government. Issue 134, 7 March 2008. more
Developers applaud power-sharing, eye Rabai close
The power-sharing agreement between President Mwai Kibaki and his new Prime Minister Raila Odinga has been near universally applauded as a solution to the country’s post-election problems and is seen as the key to unblocking finance and projects (AE 132/20, 131/21, 130/1). Issue 134, 7 March 2008. more
Kenya crisis impact
The impact of the Kenya crisis continues to be felt across the region, with Standard & Poor’s on 4 February announcing it had downgraded its sovereign long-term foreign currency rating to B/negative from B+/stable. Issue 132, 8 February 2008. more
Essar buys into Mombasa refinery
India’s Essar Energy Overseas has agreed to buy a 50% stake in Kenya Petroleum Refineries Ltd (KPRL) from Shell Petroleum, Chevron Global and BP Africa. The government holds the other 50% equity in the 4m t/yr Mombasa refinery. Issue 131, 25 January 2008.more
Kenya’s political crisis puts infrastructure investment, trade credits at risk
Caution remains the watchword, but continuing crisis means financial markets analysts are producing increasingly gloomy outlooks for the Kenyan economy and its corporate champions, write Kevin Godier and Jon Marks. Issue 131, 25 January 2008. more
Financiers, investors assess Kenyan damage
Kenya’s elections took place in a highly charged political atmosphere but the extent of the violence that followed was unexpected – especially by the international financiers who have been flooding into sub-Saharan Africa. Kevin Godier took soundings of market opinion to assess the potential international damage, with Jon Marks and African Energy correspondents. Issue 130, 14 January 2008. more
Kenya’s search for so far elusive oil will continue
Kenya saw a rush to award new exploration licences before the elections because a change of government tends to slow the decision-making process. New arrivals included Sweden’s Lundin Petroleum, also present in neighbouring Sudan, and Canada’s Vangold Resources (AE 125/1). Issue 130, 14 January 2008. more
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