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The deals signed during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Libya in April not only shed further light on Russia’s ever more assertive policy towards North Africa – reflected in a growing number of energy sector deals (see Downstream and markets, above) – but may also indicate a potential extension of Libyan policy in the region.

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).

Gazprom has moved a step closer to taking a share of strategic upstream assets in Libya from Italy’s Eni, potentially adding another facet to Moscow’s energy influence in North Africa. The Russian giant is also believed to be talking about possible deals with Algeria’s Sonatrach and has offered to invest in Nigeria

ANGOLA: Block 15/06 find; ANGOLA: SeaBird contract; REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Moho-Bilondo starts up; EGYPT: Melrose record production from its acreage; GAMBIA: GB Energy pulls out; LIBYA: Hess to acquire 2D seismic; MADAGASCAR: Seismic shoot; MAURITANIA: Banda NW sidetrack hits oil and gas; TUNISIA: Sud Remada drilling success

Every country along the North African littoral from Morocco to Egypt has got at least one refinery project in planning or on the go.

GABON: Good result from Onal field; LIBYA: Repsol rig arrives; MAURITANIA: Total brings Algerians into Taoudeni; MAURITANIA: Dry well

In an unusually frank interview by Libyan standards, National Oil Corporation (NOC) chairman Shokri Ghanem has told state-owned newspaper Al-Shams that petrol supply shortages were linked to excessive demand stimulated by heavily subsidised

A flurry of deals, some confirmed some still speculative, suggests that a lengthy hiatus in the development of Libya’s downstream sector may have broken, writes John Hamilton.

A flurry of deals, some confirmed some still speculative, suggests that after years of false starts National Oil Corporation is now pushing refurbishment plans at its two main refineries and actively soliciting investments for new projects.

ANGOLA: LNG technology deal; REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Refinery contract; LIBYA: Indonesians agree long-term crude supply

Agreeing to a higher price for gas sold by IOCs to the government should improve production capacity as companies are encouraged to invest, but it will also increase Egypt’s spiralling subsidy bill, writes Nadine Marroushi.

The ratification of BP’s $900m gas exploration contract with National Oil Corporation (NOC) returns British relations with Libya to an even keel. As African Energy exclusively reported in November, Libyan Leader Muammar Qadhafi halted the deal to pressure the UK into allowing Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohammed Al-Megrahi to be repatriated (AE 126/1).

BP new find on Block 31; Pazflor topsides contract for KBR; Apache find in Western Desert; Circle farms into NW Gemsa; Gulf of Suez farm-in opportunity; Rig and vessel contracts; EPSA-4 block signed by RWE Dea; Sasol awards offshore drilling contract; Block 1711 drilling

Cabinet reshuffle and impact on hydrocarbons sector

AfDB – first private equity investment in Maghreb; CADF $90m for four projects; US EX-IM Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee