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USTDA, transport initiative; IDA financing; World Bank finance for regional project; Chinese loan

The deals signed during President Vladimir Putin’s working visit to Libya, discussed below in African Energy view, said much about the fast-evolving shape of global gas markets and strategy, in a similar vein to Gazprom’s interest in Nigerian operations and the planned Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) to Algeria (AE 135/1).

The World Bank has launched a new initiative to develop and expand the principles of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The Bank says its EITI++ initiative seeks to develop national capability to handle the boom in commodity prices and channel growing revenue streams into fighting poverty, hunger, malnutrition, illiteracy and disease.

TULLOW: Hickey quits; ERHC ENERGY: Appointments

ANGOLA: Deutsche Bank loan for roads; BENIN: Ex-Im Bank supports turbine sales; NIGERIA: FirstBank diversifies with Brazilian import line

ANGOLA: CMIC contract for Luanda grid; KENYA: Bamburi Cement to increase biomass use; LIBERIA: Stanley to study Mount Coffee expansion; MOROCCO: Abdelmoumen STEP deadline; MOZAMBIQUE: EDM seeks bids to extend grid; NIGERIA: Chinese to build first coal-fired plant; TANZANIA: AfDB funding; UGANDA: French JV to supply Bujagali; UPDEA: European meeting to discuss reform study

Nigeria agreed to supply Ghana with 60,000 b/d of crude on a government-to-government basis, during talks in Abuja between President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and his Ghanaian counterpart John Agyekum Kufuor.

IOCs and consumer governments are indulging in intense speculation about Gazprom’s Nigerian love-in, with indications that Moscow might also revive co-operation with Algeria and invest big in several other African gas plays.

Total has signed an agreement with the local Conoil Producing Ltd to farm into the deep offshore OPL 257 licence with a 40% interest. Conoil remains the operator with a 50% interest, and a smaller local company holds the remaining 10%. Total will be the technical advisor.

The government has given Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd (EPNL) the go-ahead to develop the Usan field on the former OPL 222.

ALGERIA: Energy subsidies hamper WTO; ANGOLA/NIGERIA: Oil business PRI rates come down

An impressive array of new policies and committees has been announced to revive Nigeria’s troubled power sector, but rows over previous failures, wobbles over tariff hikes and the massive cost of the investment needed to reach 100,000MW by 2015 give cause to wonder whether the Yar’Adua administration really can turn things round.

Pipeline leaks in Nigeria mean Ghanaians are still waiting for first gas from the West African Gas Pipeline, which had been promised for Christmas.

Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has shortlisted two Chinese companies for the 300MW Morupule power plant expansion, badly needed to reduce the country’s dependence on imports from South Africa. Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Minister Ponatshego Kedikilwe said the government was also reviewing several proposals from independent power producers. The Morupule expansion should come on stream in 2011. Speaking at a briefing for business representatives on the power crisis, Kedikilwe said BPC had entered into a barter arrangement with a power station in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, for BPC to supply coal in return for power.

Controversial ERHC remains a player in the Gulf of Guinea and has high hopes for the Nigeria/STP JDZ.