The ‘Arab Spring’, which offered such hope of radical change across North Africa, has entered a long hot summer of doubts and fears, as the Libyan conflict drags on and populations from Morocco to Egypt wait to see if promised political reforms will deliver the hoped for dividends of more open decision-making, fairer legal systems and equitable economic opportunities that will help reduce levels of poverty and give real jobs to the region’s disaffected youth.
Issue 214 - 29 July 2011 
more
ALGERIA
Cherouati fights for job in Algiers
There is intense speculation that further change will follow at Sonatrach, with former pipelines vice president (VP) Abdelhamid Zerguine – who now heads the Algerian state energy giant’s subsidiary in Lugano, Switzerland, said to be in line to replace unpopular president director-general (PDG) Nordine Cherouati. Sources said Cherouati had been dismissing the story as a rumour and telling people not to believe it.
Issue 220 - 18 November 2011 
more
Signs of a thaw as Algiers plans better terms for IOCs, moots major gas development measures
After five years of resource nationalism and three unsuccessful licensing rounds, the Algerian government may be preparing to improve commercial terms for conventional oil and gas exploration, and is looking to promote non-conventional projects, writes John Hamilton in Madrid with African Energy correspondents in Algiers.
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
South-west gas developments poised to go ahead
Another problem for energy planners in Algeria is that some proposed projects – even those essential for the long-term sustainability of gas reserves – may not be commercial.
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
Authorities grind out Sonatrach affair
An Algiers court has reduced some of the remaining charges against state energy giant Sonatrach’s former president director-general (PDG) and vice presidents (VPs), suggesting that the dramatic corruption crisis is being wound down.
Issue 218 - 21 October 2011 more
Yousfi hints at hydrocarbons law amendments
Energy and mines minister Youcef Yousfi’s announcement of unspecified amendments to the hydrocarbons law has raised hopes that the authorities might be considering improvements to the terms and conditions offered to international oil companies (IOCs) for exploration licences. But, as yet, no details have emerged.
Issue 216 - 23 September 2011 more
The Algerian street is alive with protest, but yet to find its political voice
A wave of strikes, adding to the localised protests across the country over social and economic issues, says much about the current mood in a North African state that has so far resisted the galvanic change that marked the early months of the Arab Spring. State energy giant Sonatrach has been affected by industrial action that its president director-general (PDG) Nordine Cherouati has struggled to control. The powerful Union Générale des Travailleurs Algériens (UGTA) labour federation is fighting to keep workers within its ranks, after decades when secretary-general Abdelmajid Sidi Saïd and other union leaders held office by cutting deals in smoke-filled rooms.
In Sonatrach’s giant gasfield Hassi R’mel, workers’ spokesman Ali Arhab is criticising “the [Sonatrach] general management’s silence [on employees’ demands] and complicity of the UGTA”. Even if attempted mass protests in Algiers have been snuffed out by heavy policing, there are plenty of signs of volatility in Algeria.
Issue 210 - 3 June 2011 more
EGYPT
EGPC launches 15-block bid round
Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) has launched a new bid round offering 15 blocks in the Gulf of Suez, Western Desert, Eastern Desert and Sinai. The North East Obayed (801km2) and North Matruh (798km2) blocks are in the north of the Western Desert in the Matruh area, north of the Obayed and Matruh gas fields, west of the Kanayis gas field and north-west of the Tarek gas field.
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011. more
LIBYA
Document cache reveals Vitol’s dominance of Libyan market
Data released by the NTC government suggests that the Geneva-based trading company earned over $50m from its crude oil and refined products trades during the civil war, and even though other players are joining the market, Vitol remains a dominant force, writes John Hamilton
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
IOCs hold back from Libya as production ramps up
Two months after the fall of the Qadhafi regime, security at installations and oil fields is still the main barrier preventing international companies from returning to the country, writes John Hamilton
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
Billions sought in Libya reparations
Hundreds of businesses, including many oil service providers, engineering and construction companies, are preparing to make billions of dollars-worth of claims against the new Libyan government for losses and damage sustained during the six-month revolution.
Issue 218 - 21 October 2011 more
Libyan industry emerges from conflict as fields gear up to resume exports
The Libyan export industry is coming back to life, with the resumption of oil production in the western offshore and Sirte Basin’s easternmost fields, and Eni expecting gas exports to resume this month. But a return to substantial production may take longer than recent projections suggest, writes John Hamilton
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011. more
Touareg threat to Saharan production
The immediate threat to efforts to resume hydrocarbons production in the Ghadames and Murzuq basins comes from groups of armed Touareg tribesmen who have not yet accepted National Transitional Council (NTC) authority. Not all the Touareg are pro-Muammar Qadhafi, although the deposed leader recruited some as mercenary forces during the recent civil conflict.
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011. more
First-mover Heritage strikes in Libya
Heritage Oil’s acquisition of a majority stake in the well-connected Benghazi-based Sahara Oil Services Holdings (Sosh) is the first important oil sector deal in post-conflict Libya. It may help overcome earlier objections from the National Transitional Council (NTC) to Heritage’s proposals for assisting with oil field security; and it also adds a new dimension to the company’s controversial offshore exploration plans in Malta (AE 213/1, 212/16).
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011. more
Libya’s interim energy administration assesses likely production
As the new regime in Tripoli establishes its authority, Libya urgently needs to restart oil production. A potentially divisive mix of old and new faces is emerging to take charge of the sector, writes John Hamilton
Issue 215, 9 September 2011. more
Trader Vitol’s role in Libya’s revolution
Geneva-based oil trading firm Vitol’s fuel supply deal to the National Transitional Council during its six-month uprising against Colonel Muammar Qadhafi’s regime has attracted admiration, criticism and envy.
Issue 215, 9 September 2011. more
Market responds to NTC demands for fuel imports
Libya’s new oil sector and financial administration has agreed a number of emergency fuel supply contracts to overcome massive shortages across the country. But while lines of authority in the sector are still being drawn, there is a great deal of confusion in the market.
Issue 215, 9 September 2011. more
UK recognises Libyan rebels and Agoco
Alongside its decision to recognise the National Transitional Council (NTC) as the “sole governmental authority” in Libya, the UK government has consolidated Arabian Gulf Oil Company (Agoco)’s position as a national oil corporation in waiting and motor of the rebel administration’s exchequer by agreeing to the payment of $91m of frozen assets held in London.
Issue 214 - 29 July 2011 more
Desert security fears threaten Libyan rebel plan to restart fields
The Benghazi-based Interim National Council plans to restart oil production from fields under its control by the end of August. But the cash-strapped rebels have yet to secure their southern flank against the threat posed by desert-based forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Qadhafi, writes John Hamilton
Issue 213 - 15 July 2011. more
Rebel stranglehold will ‘drain’ Tripoli of fuel, leading the Libyan conflict closer to resolution
While the rebels’ allies fret about their failure to deliver a knock-out blow and the Qadhafi regime displays confidence that it can hold on to Tripoli and make diplomatic gains, a move to cut the main supply of fuel to the capital may signal that the endgame is closer than many think, writes John Hamilton
Issue 212 - 21 July 2011. more
Ofac lifts Agoco sanctions amid supply crisis
The United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) has lifted sanctions on National Oil Corporation (NOC)’s Benghazi-based subsidiary Arabian Gulf Oil Company (Agoco).
Issue 210 - 3 June 2011 more
Az-Zawiya struggles with gasoline shortage & fuel oil glut
The west of Libya may have access to domestic gasoline production of as little as 6,000 ltrs/d, from the Az-Zawiya oil refinery, but it also has too much fuel oil and kerosene, which it cannot dispose of.
Issue 210 - 3 June 2011 more
 Cote d'Ivoire |
Côte d’Ivoire escalates Ghana border row
Côte d’Ivoire has escalated a simmering border row with Ghana by demarcating new blocks that overlap with Ghana’s western acreage.
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
Globeleq signs Azito expansion agreement
The long-mooted expansion of the Azito power plant is set to go ahead with the signing of an amended concession agreement by Globeleq Generation subsidiary Azito Energie SA.
Issue 218 - 21 October 2011 more
Rialto secures rig for Q1 2012
Australia’s Rialto Energy has secured a jack-up drilling rig from Transocean and plans to drill on CI-202 in Q1 2012 (AE 210/19).
Issue 214 - 29 July 2011 more
Côte d’Ivoire banks on oil and gas for recovery
The new government is looking to the energy sector to lead the revival of the economy, but has warned it could run out of gas to fuel power plants, writes Our Abidjan Correspondent
Issue 212 - 21 July 2011. more
Race against time for Ouattara in attempt to put Côte d’Ivoire back on track
A range of energy industry players and financiers are waiting to see if the president can create sufficient national consensus to provide the investment opportunities promised by CdI’s natural resource base and reconstruction needs, writes Thalia Griffiths
Issue 209 - 20 May 2011. more
Long road ahead for Côte d’Ivoire recovery after decade of misrule
Continued fighting in Côte d’Ivoire’s main city underlines that, despite the dramatic capture of former president Laurent Gbagbo, the conflict is far from over. Some 16 years after he was excluded from the 1995 election, Alassane Ouattara finally gets to be president, but in the worst possible circumstances.
Issue 207 - 15 April 2011 more
| Post-election Nigeria |
Nigeria seeks $50bn in foreign investment to reactivate power sector
With generation capacity finally creeping upwards, the federal government is turning to foreign investors to provide the huge sums needed to overcome crippling power shortages. But targets still remain both ambitious and insufficient, writes David Slater in Abuja
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
CBN supports naira to reassure nervous investors
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi used The Economist’s 20 October Nigeria Summit in Abuja to stress that the naira would not be devalued – in a move to reassure investors worried about continued instability.
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
Nigerian government battles to push through PIB, bring oil sector finances under control
There will be opposition from across Nigerian society, but key measures to restructure the hydrocarbons industry and channel windfall oil earnings are among a raft of measures the Jonathan government expects to push through in the coming months, the country’s senior economic minister told Jon Marks in Washington
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011 more
Government calls on IOCs to help maintain fragile peace in the Niger Delta
With oil production at a four-year high, the government is reaching out to IOCs to ensure that a temporary and fragile ceasefire can be transformed into a lasting peace, writes David Slater
Issue 214 - 29 July 2011 more
Jonathan finalises his new government, but key questions remain over oil industry reform
As President Goodluck Jonathan puts the final touches to his long-awaited new cabinet, having returned staunch ally Diezani Alison-Madueke to the petroleum ministry, questions over sector reform and industry power remain
Issue 213 - 15 July 2011. more
GE eyes expansion in Nigeria with revived co-operation deal and potential IPP investments
As the Jonathan administration settles in, GE is among the major players looking to build an even bigger business on the back of Abuja’s commitment to increased electricity supply and an acceleration of stalled IPPs
Issue 210 - 3 June 2011 more
Nigeria power update: Slow progress towards a minimum performance
A few IPPs promoted by local developers and IOCs report progress, according to research conducted for African Energy's latest Nigeria power update. Partners now expect an acceleration in generation and transmission projects, running parallel to a concerted effort to unbundle the sector with the divestment of key PHCN assets. Over 300 companies have expressed interest but, as ever in Nigeria, it remains to be seen whether grandiose claims and multi-billion dollar bids can achieve concrete results
Issue 209 - 20 May 2011 more
TOP
| Power sector |
DR CONGO
Deep-rooted problems stall Snel’s recovery, jeopardising DRC projects and regional schemes
Weeks ahead of DRC’s presidential election, the Senate Special Commission of Inquiry’s damning report shows the appalling extent of mismanagement at Snel since the utility’s creation, writes François Misser
Issue 220 - 18 November 2011 more
Power cuts trigger Snel reshuffle
President Joseph Kabila ordered a complete reshuffle at the top of Société Nationale d’Electricité (Snel) on 20 August, following power cuts caused by the lowest water levels for a century in the Congo River.
Issue 215 - 9 September 2011. more
Donors, consultants seek ‘optimal strategy’ to push the pace of Inga projects
A shift of donor strategy to develop the mighty Grand Inga scheme through a series of phased projects divided into investor-friendly, bite-sized chunks is intended to move plans for Africa’s biggest hydropower source closer to reality. Whether the DRC government’s hope of developing Inga III and donors’ multinational plans for Grand Inga are compatible will be debated this year, writes Jon Marks
Issue 211 - 20 June 2011. more
ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia goes it alone (if possible) in mission to develop mega HEP schemes to supply neighbours
The self-proclaimed water tower of Africa has made advances in developing its hydroelectric-driven industry, adding to generation capacity and strengthening regional interconnections. Companies working with EEPCo speak highly of the Ethiopians’ technical skills and the government has big plans to develop cross-border links, but there remain significant obstacles to overcome before Ethiopia can fulfil its ambition to serve as eastern Africa’s leading power supplier, writes Adrian J Browne
Issue 218 - 21 October 2011 more
GABON
Gabon reports progress on $2bn HEP masterplan but still needs to secure financing
With a development strategy that relies on promoting mining and forestry projects requiring large-scale electricity supply, Gabon is pressing ahead with plans to build six hydropower dams, François Misser reports from Paris
Issue 212 - 1 July 2011. more
GHANA
Local creditors’ foreclosure hits Ghanaian IPP, leaving TOPL’s future in doubt
Work had started on the Tema Osonor independent power project, and major institutions had lined up debt and equity, when issues of bridge loan repayments and the failure to obtain parliamentary approval for the PPA blocked the project. This has left Ghana’s first major IPP in a decade in doubt, as a number of legal and arbitration proceedings loom, writes Jon Marks
Issue 211 - 20 June 2011. more
GUINEA
Condé looks to China to ease power woes
China is once again wooing the new Guinean government, offering badly needed power investment and a major bauxite project, writes Our Conakry Correspondent
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011 more
KENYA
Olkaria expansion
Kenya Electricity Generating Company has given a consortium of Japan’s Toyota Tsusho Corporation and South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering Company a turnkey contract for the Olkaria I extension and the new Olkaria IV geothermal plant.
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
Opic approves loan for Olkaria expansion
The US’ Overseas Private Investment Corporation (Opic) has approved a loan of up to $310m for Ormat Technologies to finance a project to double the generating capacity of the Olkaria III geothermal power plant.
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011 more
MOROCCO
ONE/Onep fusion agreed at last
The long-awaited merger of the kingdom’s two major utilities, Office National de l’Electricité (ONE) and Office National de l’Eau Potable (Onep) into a single public sector company called Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau (Onee) has finally been approved by the Chamber of Counsellors, the 270-member upper house of parliament.
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011 more
NIGERIA
Nigeria seeks $50bn in foreign investment to reactivate power sector
With generation capacity finally creeping upwards, the federal government is turning to foreign investors to provide the huge sums needed to overcome crippling power shortages. But targets still remain both ambitious and insufficient, writes David Slater in Abuja
Issue 218 - 21 October 2011 more
Power projects lead infrastructure drive
Critical to better use of Nigeria’s hydrocarbons wealth are efforts to tackle infrastructure bottlenecks in power and transportation by implementing key projects. Government and Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) promises of large-scale additions to electricity generation and transmission infrastructure have consistently foundered in the face of lack of implementation, co-ordinating minister of the economy and finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told African Energy.
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011 more
RWANDA
Wärtsilä to supply KivuWatt power plant
ContourGlobal subsidiary KivuWatt has given Finland’s Wärtsilä Corporation a contract to supply the power plant for its project to harness methane gas from Lake Kivu. The plant will be powered by 20-cylinder Wärtsilä 34SG gas-powered engines and have an electrical output of 25MW.
more
ContourGlobal signs KivuWatt loan facility
US power developer ContourGlobal has signed agreements for a $91.25m loan facility for phase I of the KivuWatt project to turn Lake Kivu’s methane into power (AE 209/8).
Issue 215 - 9 September 2011. more
Rwanda seeks funding for generation plans
Sporadic power cuts still occur in Kigali but this situation might change radically as projects to tap Rwanda’s potential come on stream between now and 2017, writes François Misser, recently in Kigali
Issue 210, 3 June 2011 more
SENEGAL
Wärtsilä to expand Bel Air, Kahone power plants
Under pressure to tackle crippling power shortages, Senelec has given Finland’s Wärtsilä Corporation turnkey contracts worth nearly E60m ($79m) to expand its two existing power plants at Bel Air and Kahone. The Bel Air power plant in Dakar was built in 2005 and the Kahone plant at Kaolack in 2006. Both facilities are powered by 18-cylinder Wärtsilä 46 engines, and are maintained and operated by Wärtsilä under a 15-year agreement signed in 2006.
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011 more
Senegal lines up emergency and longer-term projects as past failures haunt Senelec
Persistent blackouts, rising tensions in poorer neighbourhoods and disillusionment among the professional classes are adding to political pressures on President Wade and his family. A speedy breakthrough in installing new generation capacity and improved T&D would considerably ease tensions, writes Jon Marks in Dakar
Issue 210, 3 June 2011 more
SOUTH AFRICA
World Bank funding for renewables
The World Bank board has approved $250m in funding for the Eskom Renewables Energy Support Project, to help implement the Upington concentrating solar power and Sere wind power plants.
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
AfDB funds Eskom renewables plan
Eskom and the African Development Bank (AfDB) signed two loan agreements totalling $365m in Washington on 25 September for the first large-scale implementation of renewable wind and solar generation in Eskom’s history.
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011 more
TANZANIA
Chinese mining, pipeline projects to boost power sector
China’s Sichuan Hongda Group has signed a $3bn agreement for mining and power generation at the Mchuchuma coal and Liganga iron ore deposits in the Iringa region of southern Tanzania, described as the biggest private investment in East Africa, while China has agreed financing for new gas pipeline infrastructure.
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011 more
Government’s $325m temporary salve for Tanzanian power crisis
Emergency plans were pushed through in August to help to alleviate the worst of Tanzania’s power rationing. But there are understandable concerns about cost and corruption, and fears that larger projects will not come to fruition any time soon, writes Adrian J Browne
Issue 215, 9 September 2011. more
Power cuts threaten Tanzanian economy
After months of power cuts, the prospect of indefinite load-shedding comes as a serious blow to Tanzanian homes and industries. While emergency and longer-term projects have been announced, the crisis will take time to resolve
Issue 213 - 15 July 2011. more
Daily blackouts during Songo Songo inspection
Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) said on 7 May it would be forced to introduce 15-hour power cuts every day for a week because a scheduled inspection at the Songo Songo gas production facility would cut off supply to gas-fired plants.
Issue 209 - 20 May 2011 more
TUNISIA
EPC route for Sousse CCGT plant
Tunisia appears to have abandoned hopes of launching independent power projects (IPPs) during the current period of political reform and economic uncertainty.
Issue 216 - 23 September 2011 more
ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe seeks Hwange, Kariba expansion bids
Harare has taken another step towards tackling the country’s power supply deficit with the start of tendering for 900MW of new capacity at Hwange and Kariba
Issue 214 - 29 July 2011 more
Zimbabwe looks to revive big generation schemes
The beleaguered MDC energy minister is talking up prospects for encouraging investment to relaunch major generation schemes and, following a series of disappointments, expects to test investor appetite in coming months
Issue 212 - 1 July 2011. more
REGIONAL
East African currency pressures trigger memories of Asian crisis for power sector developers
Recent pressure on the Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan shillings poses problems for power developers and others operating in East Africa’s fast-growing economies, with echoes of the late 1990s events in Asia that undermined that region’s burgeoning IPP sector, writes Kevin Godier with Jon Marks
Issue 213 - 15 July 2011. more
New strategy as World Bank backs hydropower
The change of direction signalled by the World Bank’s new draft energy strategy is part of a commitment to widening access to power while minimising greenhouse gas emissions
Issue 211 - 20 June 2011. more
SOUTHERN REGION
Southern African pool still operating below par
The SAPP is putting on a brave face about prospects for the region’s electricity supply industry and its own performance, looking to inflows of investment to install more generation capacity across southern Africa and for the pool’s trading mechanisms to gain momentum, write Kevin Godier and Jon Marks
Issue 220 - 18 November 2011 more
Southern power update part II: Eastern SAPP
Mozambique’s ambitious plans dominate the regional picture, but Zimbabwe has high hopes for economic recovery and smaller states hope to benefit from interconnections within the Southern African Power Pool
Issue 212 - 1 July 2011. more
Southern Africa power update: International offtake remains elusive
While a few projects in the planning stages are moving towards development and implementation, securing finance to unlock the full value chain of some projects, from upstream to power generation and offtake remains a problem
Issue 211 - 20 June 2011. more
TOP
| Upstream |
KENYA
Exploration on Lake Turkana
A group led by Tullow Oil is preparing to drill a well on the Ngamia prospect on Block 10BB, launching an exploration programme which plans to build on the company’s Ugandan experience. Africa Oil Corporation president and chief executive Keith Hill said the choice of Ngamia had been a cause for some debate within the joint venture.
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
Total makes Kenya grab
Total has made a concerted effort to catch up with its Anglo-Saxon rivals in East Africa, with a farm-in to Anadarko’s five blocks offshore Kenya following recent acquisitions onshore Tanzania and in Uganda.
Issue 216 - 23 September 2011 more
Upstream update: Exploration activity in Kenya reaches unprecedented level
After a couple of high-profile exploration disappointments, onshore and offshore, all eyes are on Tullow as the company prepares to drill in the Turkana Basin in Q4
Issue 215 - 9 September 2011. more
CHAD
Revived Chad oil search attracts hopefuls in need of a pipeline
Following an upturn in production since 2010, further efforts to revive exploration are bringing a new generation of independents into acreage including blocks relinquished by Doba field operator ExxonMobil
Issue 213 - 15 July 2011. more
NIGERIA
Shell faces US lawsuits
Royal Dutch Shell is facing two lawsuits over its operations in the Niger Delta, three months after a United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) report condemned the oil major for environmental damage and recommended it foots the $1bn clean-up bill (AE 215/20).
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
Shell remains committed to Nigeria following legal action and damning UN report
The environmental disaster in Ogoniland could take up to 30 years and $1bn to repair, but Royal Dutch Shell says it remains committed to its Nigerian operations despite accepting liability for its part in oil spills, writes David Slater
Issue 215 - 9 September 2011. more
NAMIBIA
Keyes takes a second look
Houston-based Frontier Resources International has been awarded an exploration licence for two blocks in northern Namibia’s Etosha-Ovambo Basin.
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
Namibia’s new entrants have some strange allies
In Namibia’s highly politicised resource economy, forming joint ventures with the right local partners is critical to accessing licences – but local partners can pose reputational risks. This is illustrated by the case of recent entrants Australia’s Pancontinental Oil & Gas and Texan outfit Hydrocarb Corporation, writes Our Windhoek correspondent
Issue 216 - 23 September 2011 more
Chariot wins BP farm-in
UK minnow Chariot Oil & Gas has won a farm-in from BP, which has taken 25% in its southern Block 2714A in the Orange Basin, which includes the giant Nimrod prospect.
Issue 215 - 9 September 2011. more
Gazprom’s Kudu stake changes hands
While Gazprom has not entirely withdrawn from the Kudu gas-to-power project, news that the stake has changed hands highlights tension between the Russian major and Namibian authorities, writes Michael Wooldridge
Issue 210 - 3 June 2011. more
TANZANIA
Ophir targets 21tcf of gas in new campaigns
Independent estimates by RPS Energy have put prospective resources at 21tcf in Tanzanian blocks 1, 3 and 4, where London-listed companies BG Group and Ophir Energy hold stakes.
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011. more
Shell farms into Petrobras blocks
With no sign of progress on its Pemba and Zanzibar blocks, Shell has farmed into Petrobras’ blocks 5 and 6, taking 50%. Petrobras, which remains as operator, said the Tanzanian authorities had approved the farm-out on 16 September. The blocks are in the Indian Ocean at water depths of 600-3,000 metres.
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011. more
Upstream update: Majors ready to drill in Tanzania after gas discoveries fuel optimism
While political and regulatory issues still pose some challenges, recent offshore gas discoveries have encouraged majors’ drilling campaigns to begin in Q4, and Total has been tempted into a tricky onshore block in pursuit of oil
Issue 216 - 23 September 2011 more
UGANDA
More controversy in Uganda as Museveni attempts to force through Tullow deal
The government’s attempts to disregard parliament’s oil resolutions, and to weaken the capacity of a corruption probe committee, have met with considerable opposition, underlining the capacity of domestic politics to complicate Uganda’s passage to becoming an oil producer, writes Adrian J Browne
Issue 220 - 18 November 2011 more
Eighty firms compete for Uganda blocks
Petroleum commissioner Ernest Rubondo has told the ad hoc parliamentary committee investigating the oil sector that “close to 80” applications had been received from international oil companies looking to secure blocks in Uganda’s open acreage.
Issue 220 - 18 November 2011 more
Museveni’s opponents seize on oil issue to press for genuine change in Ugandan business
Uganda’s dynamic new parliament has hit out at the perceived lack of transparency in the oil sector, demanding full disclosure of contracts seen as controlled by the president’s inner circle. With everything from local land rights to military aircraft sales under scrutiny, the veteran president is under pressure ahead of crude production coming on stream, write Adrian J Browne and Thalia Griffiths
Issue 218 - 21 October 2011 more
Land rights controversy adds to potent mix in Uganda
The issue of land ownership is a major factor in the Ugandan oil and politics equation. During the grilling of National Resistance Movement grandees in parliament on 12 October, Buliisa MP Stephen Biraahwa Mukitale named a senior agent of the government’s Internal Security Organisation, Major Herbert Asiimwe Muramagi, as one of those accused by locals of attempting to illegally acquire land near the Taitai well in Kigorobya.
Issue 218 - 21 October 2011 more
Leaked US cables reveal discussion of alleged oil corruption in Uganda
Fresh details of the machinations surrounding the sale of Heritage’s Ugandan oil acreage have emerged in the latest batch of WikiLeaks releases, writes Adrian J Browne
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011. more
Upstream update: Uganda’s prolific run continues, but development may be delayed
Exploration is a success story, but a series of legal and regulatory disputes and the row over capital gains tax between Heritage Oil and Tullow Oil continue to threaten the sector
Issue 217 - 7 October 2011. more
EAST REGION
Eni ‘to invest $50bn’ in Mozambique gas
It has drilled only one well, but the extent of Eni’s ambitions for its gas find in Mozambique’s Offshore Area 4 are becoming apparent, with the Italian major’s chief executive, Paolo Scaroni, telling one interviewer it could invest $50bn in developing the discovery and building infrastructure to export the gas to Asia (AE 219/15).
Issue 220 - 18 November 2011 more
Gas emerges as unexpected game-changer for east coast economies
The scale of the Mamba South discovery announced by Italian major Eni wasn’t such a shock after Anadarko Petroleum Corporation’s upbeat reporting of its Barquentine-2 appraisal well, which has shown that northern Mozambique could become a major gas producer, just as northern neighbour Tanzania is shaping up to be.
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
Piracy spreads down the East African coast
The Swahili coast’s upstream petroleum industry is taking shape as pirates step up their activity in an ever wider area. The US military is playing an active role, but new offshore infrastructure is vulnerable, writes Adrian J Browne
Issue 216 - 23 September 2011 more
WEST REGION
Jubilee a tough act to follow as IOCs confront disappointment and politics in Transform Margin
Undaunted by the latest salvo in the long-running border dispute between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, companies active in the West African Transform Margin are pushing ahead with exploration. But emulating Tullow’s record is proving harder than several IOCs had hoped, writes Thalia Griffiths in Accra
Issue 220 - 18 November 2011 more
All eyes on Liberia as new West Africa drilling season kicks off
A string of wells are due offshore West Africa by year-end, with Ghana’s neighbours hoping to emulate its success in pursuing the Transform Margin play. Liberia is particularly in the spotlight, while Côte d’Ivoire is seeing work resume following the lifting of force majeure restrictions, writes Thalia Griffiths
Issue 216 - 23 September 2011 more
Upstream update: Central Africa begins to entice
Exploration in Burundi, Zambia and Malawi is still at an early stage, but the region’s lakes are attracting companies hoping to replicate Uganda’s success, while Zambia’s varied geology and expertise in mining mean blocks have been awarded to a mix of local and international players
Issue 218 - 21 October 2011 more
TOP
| Downstream |
LIBYA
Document cache reveals Vitol’s dominance of Libyan market
Data released by the NTC government suggests that the Geneva-based trading company earned over $50m from its crude oil and refined products trades during the civil war, and even though other players are joining the market, Vitol remains a dominant force, writes John Hamilton
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
Market responds to NTC demands for fuel imports
Libya’s new oil sector and financial administration has agreed a number of emergency fuel supply contracts to overcome massive shortages across the country. But while lines of authority in the sector are still being drawn, there is a great deal of confusion in the market.
Issue 215, 9 September 2011. more
ALGERIA
Total’s ethane cracker deal in doubt
Uncertainties within Sonatrach over feedstock supply have erased more than three years of progress towards a formal joint venture agreement between the Algerian authorities and Total on the construction of an estimated $7bn ethane cracker.
Issue 209 - 20 May 2011 more
SUDAN/SOUTH SUDAN
Khartoum sets fee for South Sudan pipeline use
With no deal yet in place on oil revenue-sharing between north and south Sudan, Khartoum has imposed a pipeline usage fee of $22.80/bbl on South Sudan’s exports.
Issue 214, 29 July 2011. more
EAST AFRICA
Anadarko takes the lead in race to East African LNG as Mozambique gas discoveries line up
The scale of gas finds offshore Mozambique and Tanzania suggests there are reserves to support two LNG plants, if Anadarko and BG can capture Asian markets in the face of competition from Australia, writes Adrian J Browne
Issue 215, 9 September 2011. more
Changes lined up for East Africa markets
Downstream players in East Africa are calling for tax changes to petroleum storage facilities to help prevent product shortages and allow them to operate more efficiently, writes Kimemia Mugo
Issue 211 - 20 June 2011. more
Kenya LNG plans take shape as demand increases
Growing power demand and a steady pace of gas discoveries offshore Tanzania and northern Mozambique have encouraged planners to consider an LNG plant for Mombasa. The Indian Ocean port is set to become a major energy hub, writes Kimemia Mugo in Nairobi
Issue 209 - 20 May 2011 more
GHANA
Ghana to launch study into LNG imports
As it prepares for first oil from the Jubilee field, energy-hungry Ghana is considering a floating LNG unit to add imported gas to its energy mix
Issue 215, 9 September 2011. more
NIGER
Refinery to begin operating
Production at the Chinese-built Zinder refinery in southern Niger will begin this month, and the government is seeing growing interest from explorers, according to Ousseini Assane Boureima, director of exploration at the Mines and Energy Ministry
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
Big test for Jonathan as Nigerian government tries again to lift burden of subsidies
The unions don’t like it and neither do many northern politicians. But publicly, at least, a majority in government and business are behind the president’s efforts to remove subsidies on petrol, writes Leonard Lawal in Lagos
Issue 218 - 21 October 2011 more
ZAMBIA
Zambia’s populist new president targets fuel costs
President Michael Sata has made a number of promises but looks unlikely to unsettle major investors with big policy changes, though he has bravely pledged to tackle the fuel supply conundrum, writes Chiwoyu Sinyangwe in Lusaka
Issue 219 - 4 November 2011 more
REGIONAL
