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Canada’s Talisman Energy farmed into Block 4B-10 in mid- 2011, taking 80%. The seller was the British Virgin Islands UK-registered Prontinal, which with its predecessor company #8 Investments Inc had owned the block since the 2002 licensing round. Sierra Leonean petroleum unit sources last spring said that Talisman, which does not have a large Africa footprint following the 2003 sale of its Sudan interests, had bought into the block,but the company declined to confirm this at the time. In 2009,Simco Petroleum Management opened a data room for Prontinal which was attended by some 30 companies.

Canada’s Talisman Energy farmed into Block 4B-10 in mid-2011, taking 80%

President Ernest Bai Koroma has removed energy minister Ogunlade Davidson and replaced him with former banker Oluniyi Robbin-Coker, who was previously his private sector policy adviser.

With interest in the West African Transform Margin steadily increasing, Sierra Leone has launched a bid round for its nine open blocks. An announcement published by the Petroleum Directorate said the bid period would run from 29 December to 30 March

IFC invests in Canadian miner; Benchmark bond; Addax Bioenergy reaches financial close

Bumbuna hydro developer Joule Africa has appointed three big names to its advisory board. Lord Triesman was UK parliamentary

Addax and Oryx Group subsidiary Addax Bioenergy SA has broken ground for the construction of an ethanol refinery and biomass-fuelled power plant, due to become operational in 2013, at its sugarcane plantation development near Makeni in central Sierra Leone. Addax Bioenergy in June signed a loan agreement with seven European and African development finance institutions

Addax and Oryx Group subsidiary Addax Bioenergy SA has broken ground for the construction of an ethanol refinery and biomass-fuelled power plant, due to become operational in 2013, at its sugarcane plantation development near Makeni in central Sierra Leone

TGS-Nopec has begun acquiring a new multi-client 3D seismic survey offshore Sierra Leone. On completion of the 1,038km2 survey, TGS will have over 6,200 km2 of contiguous multi-client 3D data offshore.

After coming close to losing its licence for Block SL-5, Oranto Petroleum has bounced back, bringing in regional players Lukoil Overseas and Vanco Energy Company as farm-in partners

Addax Bioenergy has signed a loan agreement with seven European and African development institutions for its ethanol project near Makeni

The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources has signed a memorandum of understanding with California-based Joule Africa to develop the second stage of the Bumbuna hydro project. The 50MW first phase was severely delayed by the civil war but was finally commissioned in November 2009 (AE 175/1).

NIGERIA/SAO TOME: JDZ Block 2 extension; RWANDA: Government expects to sign PSA with Vanoil; SIERRA LEONE: Block SL-4 may have new owner

Having brought in a Japanese partner, the US indie is preparing to drill off Sierra Leone and Liberia, hoping to continue the region’s success with the drillbit established by Ghana’s oil plays. Meanwhile controversial entrepreneur Frank Timis is tightening his grip on resources plays in Sierra Leone

In 2009, Simco opened a data room for British Virgin Islands/UK-registered Prontinal Ltd, which was looking to farm out a stake in Sierra Leone’s Block SL-4. Prontinal wanted to sell a participating interest or interests in the block. “Operatorship is available,” the company said in a statement. Simco completed its data room responsibilities last year.