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Former Addax Petroleum new ventures manager Philippe Probst has been named as interim chief executive of Sweden’s PA Resources as part of a wider board and management shake-up. The Stockholm-based company has acreage in Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea and Republic of Congo. “It is well known that PA Resources has been in a vulnerable financial situation for some time,” the company said in a statement.

Total has given Technip a contract for the engineering, procurement, supply, construction, installation and pre-commissioning for the Moho Nord development project. The project consists of two developments, Moho Bilondo Phase 1bis and Moho Nord. Moho Nord, which will be tied back to a new floating production unit (FPU) and a newbuild tension-leg platform, includes an oil export line to the Djeno onshore terminal.

Subsea 7 has given KBR a contract to carry out the topsides design for Chevron’s Lianzi development project in a unitised offshore zone between the Republic of Congo and Angola. Chevron gave the go-ahead in July 2012 for development of the Lianzi field after the two governments reached agreement on the unitised zone.

Commentators were stunned by Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) leader General Bosco Ntaganda’s decision to leave his haunts in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, presenting himself on 18 March at the US embassy in Kigali, where he asked to be transferred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. For Ntaganda, apparently, the prospect of facing trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity is preferable to continuing his conflict with President Joseph Kabila Kabange’s administration in Kinshasa or facing the wrath of his former Rwandan ally President Paul Kagame. The warlord’s move prompted speculation that an elusive peace deal between the DRC government and M23 might be forthcoming. However, peace with M23 provides no guarantee that DRC’s oil sector can quickly fulfil its promise.

Total has announced the final investment decision and contract awards for the Moho Nord development on the Moho-Bilondo licence. The $10bn development will target some 485m boe of new reserves, comprising additional reserves in the southern part of the licence with Moho Bilondo Phase 1 bis, and new reserves in the northern sector with Moho Nord. First oil is expected in 2015, with output reaching 140,000 boe/d in 2017.

Moves to make the operations of national oil company Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) and Republic of Congo’s management of revenues more transparent have slowed down in the past two years, according to sources in Brazzaville and abroad canvassed by African Energy.

Murphy Oil Corporation has announced that its Opale Marine-1 well in the Mer Profonde Nord permit was unsuccessful and has been plugged and abandoned. The total net cost of the well is estimated at $48m.

GE Oil and Gas is to supply equipment and technology for the Chevron-operated Lianzi project, to bring the offshore field straddling Angola and Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) on stream

Chevron has given Subsea 7 a $600m contract for subsea facilities for the Lianzi field, in a unitised offshore zone between the Republic of Congo and Angola.

Chevron has given the go-ahead for development of the Lianzi field following agreement on a unitised offshore zone between the Republic of Congo and Angola.

Société Nationale d’Electricité (Snel) is considering importing power from neighbouring Republic of Congo to alleviate shortages in the mining province of Katanga.

As demand from the region’s iron ore and potash mines soars, a new power developer is looking at Republic of Congo’s hydro potential, writes Thalia Griffiths

IOCs report renewed optimism over investments in maritime joint development zones following Angola’s deal with Republic of Congo to jointly develop the offshore Lianzi field. But some disputes remain apparently intractable, stopping other joint developments in the area

Though Chinese support continues to provide some answers, central African states have been slow to realise their huge hydroelectric potential and to address their T&D weaknesses

Azurite disappointment; Oando swamp rig for Shell; Total starts work on Ofon Phase 2; Shell wins Orange Basin right; Third time lucky for Tower?