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President Idriss Déby Itno has attempted to get tough with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) over environmental violations at the Ronier field. This minor development is significant because of increased international interest in the Chadian upstream, with new companies taking acreage in the hope of finding successful rift basin plays, and for what it says about N’Djaména’s relationship with its biggest investor. The government halted CNPC’s operations in August after finding waste crude stored in open pits. However, it lifted the suspension in October after CNPC promised to literally clean up its act.

Aggreko has signed contracts with Société Nationale d’Electricité (SNE) to deliver 20MW of temporary power running on local heavy fuel oil. Aggreko said the fast-track plant would provide badly needed extra capacity for the capital, which suffers from chronic supply problems. The inauguration in March of the Lamadji substation, which supplies 20MW from the power plant at the Djermaya refinery to the capital’s grid, has done little to ease the situation. The substation is part of a transmission and distribution infrastructure project for which contracts were signed in April 2010 with China Machinery Engineering Corporation.

Canadian junior Caracal Energy has announced the start of oil shipments from the Badila field. The production facilities were inaugurated on 9 June and, on 30 September, Caracal began pumping oil into the transportation system that connects the Badila field to the Chad-Cameroon export pipeline. Caracal’s joint venture partners are Société des Hydrocarbures du Tchad and Glencore Xstrata. Caracal will initially produce oil to fulfil the joint venture’s share of the line-fill, estimated at just over 450,000 barrels, after which it can accumulate oil for sale.

The Central African Power Pool is seeking expressions of interest from consultants to conduct a study into a possible electrical interconnection between Cameroon and Chad. The consultant will produce two documents. The first will review existing studies, briefly analyse supply and demand trends, look at possible pathways for transmission lines and options for rural electrification, analyse environmental and social impacts and carry out an economic and financial analysis of different technical options.

Caracal Energy, the former Griffiths Energy, is preparing to start production from the Badila field and expects the Mangara field to come on stream by year-end. The Canadian company said the first phase of the modular Badila production facilities was completed at the end of May. President Idriss Déby Itno inaugurated the facility on 9 June by opening the production shipping valve. The system has been loaded with oil and is ready to start production once a transportation agreement has been finalised, which the company expects during July.

Canada’s Griffiths Energy International plans to change its name to Caracal Energy and list its shares on the London Stock Exchange’s main market. The company planned an initial public offering last year, but the plans were shelved when the company discovered that its late founder, Brad Griffiths, had bribed Chadian officials to obtain exploration acreage. Griffiths Energy was fined C$10.35m by a Calgary court in January.

A bribery conviction against Griffiths Energy International has been welcomed as a sign that Canada is acting to tackle its reputation for being less tough on corruption than the US or UK, even though the company uncovered the payment itself, and reported it to the authorities.

The names of the Griffiths Energy International co-founders, Naeem and Parvez Tyab, may be familiar to those who follow the sometimes shadowy world of Canadian oil minnows operating in Africa. The other co-founder was the late Canadian financier and businessman Brad Griffiths, who died in mid-2011. The Tyabs served as directors until July 2011, when a new board and management were appointed.

Griffiths Energy International has been hit with a record fine for paying bribes as part of its efforts to secure exploration acreage in Chad, after the company’s new management uncovered evidence of wrongdoing and reported it to Canadian police.

Simba Energy says production-sharing contracts (PSCs) for its three blocks have been approved by the government, but National Assembly approval is still needed before operations can begin.

ERHC Energy shareholders have approved company plans to raise up to $45m through share offers to fund its exploration programmes in Chad and Kenya

Canada’s Griffiths Energy International has signed an agreement with Glencore International to fund the development of the Mangara and Badila oil fields in exchange for a 25% share, while Simba Energy has taken acreage immediately to the south.

Having repositioned itself with new acreage acquisitions in Chad and Kenya, ERHC Energy has moved away from the deep waters of the Gulf of Guinea and set an ambitious timetable for the next two years.

The government has given Houston-based ERHC Energy an exclusive exploration authorisation (EEA) for the three blocks covered by ERHC’s production-sharing contract (PSC), enabling exploration to start.

Niger is gearing up to start exporting oil from the Agadem Block and hopes to revive the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline project to enable it to export its gas, writes Thalia Griffiths.