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Oryx Petroleum Corporation plans to drill next year in the joint Senegal/Guinea Bissau development zone Agence de Gestion et Cooperation (AGC). Drilling on the AGC Shallow licence will target the Dome Iris prospect, a Maastrichtian formation in the Cretaceous reservoir. Oryx head of corporate finance Scott Lewis told African Energy: “we very much like both the AGC Shallow and AGC Central licences. The play type – carbonate edge play – in AGC Central is similar to Cairn’s most recent discovery” offshore Senegal.

Oryx Petroleum Corporation has acquired an 85% interest in the AGC Central licence in the joint development offshore area between Senegal and Guinea Bissau. The remaining 15% is held by L’Entreprise AGC. Oryx already has 85% in the adjacent AGC Shallow Block, where a well is planned for H1 2015. The new block covers 3,150km2 in water depths ranging from 100 metres to 1,500 metres in an area previously included in the AGC Profond licence area, where past operators have focused on the deep water.

The World Bank board will decide on 29 May on funding totalling $22.5m for the Emergency Water and Electricity Services Upgrading Project. The total includes $8.09m to improve the reliability of electricity services by financing the provision of heavy fuel oil (HFO) to help build a sustainable supply chain for the thermal power plant in Bissau, and distillate diesel oil to secure the energy supply for water pumping equipment. The project also aims to improve the reliability and efficiency of overloaded medium and low-voltage networks by rehabilitating the output substation of the power station, replacing about 12km of distribution cables, supplying and installing about 16 MV/LV transformers, and creating about ten additional MV/LV substations.

Svenska Petroleum has contracted AGR Well Management for a drilling programme starting in Q1 2014 on Block 2. The programme is for a minimum of one firm well with the option of two additional exploration wells dependant on results and rig availability. The campaign is scheduled to last between 45 and 180 days depending on the success of the first well and the availability of the rig, whose contract will be tendered following governmental and partner approval. AGR carried out well management services for Hyperdynamics’ Sabu well in neighbouring Guinea in 2011-12.

With exploration activity at a standstill due to political instability, London-based Cap Energy has acquired a majority stake in Sphere Petroleum Corporation BVI, which has stakes in offshore blocks 1 and 5B. Parent company Sphere Petroleum QSC will retain a 14% stake in Sphere BVI. Cap, whose shares are listed on London’s ISDX Growth Market, will pay $1.1m and reimburse Sphere’s past costs, up to a total $1.9m.

Dramatic events across the Sahel have heightened concerns about instability and security threats across the region, where criminal networks and jihadist cells – including Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) splinter groups – have been increasingly active from southern Algeria to northern Nigeria

Ophir Energy is to plug and abandon the Kora-1 well in the AGC Profond production-sharing contract (PSC) after failing to find hydrocarbons

EGYPT: Giza North tender; GUINEA-BISSAU: World Bank funds generator

Amid growing interest in West Africa’s untapped potential, Bergen Oilfield Services (BOS) is to acquire a big multi-client 2D seismic survey extending from Senegal to Guinea.

ALGERIA: Petroceltic plans Ain Tsila appraisal; ANGOLA: New 15/06 find for Eni; ANGOLA: KBR wins Clov contract; DR CONGO: Soco drilling; EGYPT: Crosco provides rig for INA well; GUINEA-BISSAU: Svenska 3D survey; KENYA: Cove completes farm-in; NIGERIA: Ebok field sail-away ceremony; ERHC ENERGY: Registered direct offering raises $2m; GE: Dresser acquisition; PROSAFE/BW: Nigeria extensions, merger

Ophir Energy plans to drill a deep-water well in the shared zone between Senegal and Guinea Bissau and has secured a rig from AP Moller-Maersk.

ALGERIA: IFC invests $24m in cement plant, GHANA: IFC raises $160m for mobile telecoms; LUSOPHONES: IFC, Portugal launch private sector growth fund

South Africa-based Engen Petroleum has completed the purchase of Total’s downstream operations in Guinea Bissau, Rwanda and Burundi. The agreement, signed on 31 July in Paris and effective from 19 November, sees Engen take over Total’s shareholding in Total Rwanda and in Total Burundi.

The Nigeria-based Africa Finance Corporation plans to set up a 12MW heavy fuel oil power plant in Bissau, as part of a project to deploy emergency power and rehabilitate the transmission and distribution network (AE 132/22)

AfDB: Support for BOAD; EU to fund rural electrification; Lighting Africa finalists; AFC membership, power initiative