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Uncertainty over the regulatory framework has slowed oil and gas exploration for several years, but with new legislation in place the pace is finally picking up, writes Thalia Griffiths, recently in Johannesburg

The World Bank announced on 17 January that the International Development Association would provide a $20m grant to help improve the performance of Central African Republic’s power and water suppliers, Energie Centrafricaine (Enerca) and Société des Eaux de Centrafrique (Sodeca), and increase access to water and electricity in the capital Bangui and the towns of Bambari and Berberati.

Ophir Energy on 10 November announced a binding shareholders’ agreement to form a joint operating company with OneLNG to develop the Fortuna floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) project. OneLNG is a joint venture between Golar LNG, which is supplying the Gandria FLNG vessel for Fortuna, and Schlumberger, which had been talking to Ophir earlier this year about developing the project before it established the joint venture with Golar.

AIM-listed Chariot Oil & Gas has been awarded a 75% interest and operatorship of the new Kenitra Offshore exploration permit and has launched a seismic survey in pursuit of a Lower Cretaceous play which spreads from the adjacent Mohammedia permit into the Kenitra acreage. Kenitra, which covers 1,400km2 in water depths ranging from 200 metres to 1,500 metres, was formerly part of the Eni-operated Rabat Deep Offshore exploration permits I-VI (AE 338/13).

There has been a fresh wave of violent protests in the volatile capital of Conakry in recent days, with crowds attacking offices of state utility Electricité de Guinée (EDG) and blocking roads with burning tyres to protest at continued power cuts.

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

Berkeley Energy, as manager of the Africa Renewable Energy Fund (AREF), is seeking expressions of interest from consultants to carry out a wind resource assessment for the Konikablo wind project. AREF, a $200m fund backed by the African Development Bank to invest in development-stage renewable energy projects, is considering investing in the potential 50MW wind scheme.

On 16 January, the African Development Bank (AfDB) priced a $1bn fixed-rate US dollar global benchmark bond due 15 March 2018. The transaction pays a coupon of 0.875% and a spread of five basis points over mid-swaps, equivalent to 20.45 basis points over the UST 0.75% due 31 December 2017.

Tullow Oil and Africa Oil Corporation are in the enviable position of having no other partners in the 12,638km2 Block 10BB, where oil was found in March

Midvaal Local Municipality in Gauteng has issued a request for qualification for a public-private partnership concession to finance, design, manage, operate, maintain and expand electricity services. The small municipality, which in 2016 had a population of 111,612 people, is blazing a trail as one of the first to seek a private concessionaire to run its electricity distribution responsibilities. The concession could run for 15-20 years.

New York Stock Exchange-listed Ormat Technologies Ltd announced on 4 February that it had begun commercial operations at the 29MW Plant IV at the Olkaria III geothermal complex, bringing total installed capacity at the site to 139MW. Power will be sold to Kenya Power under a 20-year power purchase agreement, amended in October 2015 to allow for the future increase in phases of capacity at Plant IV to 100MW. Ormat brought the first phase of Plant I online in 2000 and the second phase in 2009.

The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has begun investigations into Rolls-Royce’s operations in Nigeria, following accusations that the London Stock Exchange-listed engineering group filtered payments through intermediaries such as Unaoil to win deals in Indonesia, China, India and Brazil. As with previous investigations, the deals under scrutiny were transacted by Rolls-Royce’s previous management, headed by Sir John Rose. The Times newspaper reported on 20 May that the Nigerian deals involved Rolls-Royce’s alleged use of an intermediary company, PSL Engineering and Control, to influence the sale of gas turbines.

The deadline for financial close for projects in the third round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) programme has been put back to November from July. “Guided by factors such as the volatility of the rand, and in consultation with National Treasury and the Reserve Bank, we have opted to shift the date for financial close to November 2014. This will also allow Eskom to prepare adequately for the connection of these providers to the grid as planned,” energy minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson said while delivering the energy budget to parliament on 21 July.

Ghanaian explorer Springfield Exploration and Production Limited has signed a contract with Stena Unicon Offshore Services Ghana to use the Stena Forth drillship for two wells on West Cape Three Points (WCTP) Block 2.“The campaign will first target the Oak-1x well, on trend with the Beech discovery made on the Deep Water Tano Cape Three Points Block to the south-west of WCTP Block 2,” Springfield said.

The president of the employers’ Fédération Nationale de l’Energie Moulay Abdallah Alaoui died on 8 February, aged 83. The federation has been a vocal lobby for industry interests, including moves to reduce the build up of payments arrears by Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable and other state companies.