Search results

Chariot Energy sees its Anchois gas discovery as a potential new gas province in Morocco’s Atlantic offshore zone, where many other upstream players have previously failed to make a definitive commercial find. A farm-in opportunity beckons.

Following an explosive report alleging widespread fraud at one of India’s largest conglomerates the share price of Adani Group companies plummeted on the Indian stock exchange, in an affair that could yet have implications for a proposed 10GW renewable power and green hydrogen project in Morocco.

Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)-listed Aya Gold & Silver has announced that it has closed $100m of debt finance to expand its Zgounder project in the central Anti-Atlas region, 100km south of Marrakesh.

Mired in the global cost of living crisis, and with a system of state support that is still only partially reformed, subsidies for liquid petroleum gas (LPG) continue to cost Morocco dearly. African Energy examines the pressures facing the Moroccan government following “a confluence of negative shocks” in 2022.

London-listed Sound Energy expects to reach a final investment decision (FID) for the second phase of its Tendrara concession by year-end, as it continues its search for a farm-in partner to join further exploration and appraisal work. Production from phase I is also expected to start in early 2024, writes Marc Howard.

Sultan Al-Jaber’s appointment to preside over the end-year COP28 climate talks in Dubai brings a storied United Arab Emirates official to global prominence. His leadership in renewables developer Masdar and other UAE sustainable energy initiatives is welcome, but Al-Jaber’s powerful role as head of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has added to climate campaigners’ fears that big hydrocarbons producers will take the COP process even further off track, write Jon Marks and African Energy staff.

Installation of turbines at the Aftissat wind project in Boujdour, in the north of the Moroccan-controlled disputed territory of Western Sahara, is about one-third complete, project sources have told African Energy. The extension will add 200MW of capacity to the 201.6MW already in place.

Canadian miner Aya Gold & Silver has announced a MD67m ($6.4m) deal to acquire state resources agency Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (Onhym)’s 15% interest in the Zgounder silver project and five permits adjacent to the mine.

Israel’s NewMed Energy and Moroccan privately-held Adarco Energy have signed a deal with the state Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (Onhym) to carry out oil and gas exploration in the offshore Boujdour Atlantique licence area, in waters that form part of the disputed Western Sahara.

Five more memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed in Rabat on 5 December, bringing more partners into the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project.

Germany’s offer of support for a first hydrogen (GH2) plant in Morocco makes the North African country a potential early mover in the race to build a hydrogen economy on the continent.

Coal remains king in a number of African markets – led by Morocco and South Africa, which usually prefer to tout their credentials as champions of renewable energy. Coal generation is set to peak in 2024, as Live Data shows some 2.7GW of new capacity being added in parallel to planned decommissioning. Given its role in providing baseload, coal is not going away in economies that have come to depend on the combustible, controversial fuel.

Morocco has made much of its response to Algeria’s withdrawal from the Maghreb-Europe Gas (GME) pipeline, which delivers natural gas to the kingdom and Spain. An investment in re-engineering the GME has allowed the government to buy LNG landed in Spain to be supplied to the 385MW Tahaddart and 470MW Aïn Beni Mathar combined cycle plants.

Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)-listed Aya Gold & Silver said on 25 October that it had secured $100m of debt finance to expand its Zgounder mine project, some 100km south of Marrakesh.

London-listed Predator Oil & Gas Holdings has said the drilling of its MOU-2 gas well on the onshore Guercif licence is likely to start in the first half of December .