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Emerging Power (Gambia) has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with state utility National Water and Electricity Company for a 10MW solar power project. Emerging Power (Gambia) is a special purpose vehicle owned by Dubai based Z-One Holdings and French solar developer Tryba Energy. Construction is expected to begin in May, Tryba said. Z-One is a holding company with stakes in Disctech, Energy Tech Mena, Solarpraxis, Ecoprogetti, CPS Mena, CSun-MEA, juwi MEA and ZT Energy and projects in Egypt.

Houston-based Erin Energy said on 14 September that the Polarcus Alima vessel had completed the acquisition of 1,613km2 of 3D seismic over the A2 and A5 blocks offshore Gambia. The former Camac Energy will now start processing and interpretation of the data, with results expected during Q2 2016. The Houston-based company said the blocks were on trend with Cairn Energy’s FAN-1 and SNE-1 discoveries offshore Senegal.

Houston-based Vaalco Energy said on 20 July the Southeast Etame 2-H well had been brought on line at a rate of 3,400 b/d. The well is the first to be drilled and placed on production at the new Southeast Etame/North Tchibala (SEENT) platform. The well was drilled to a depth of 4,270 metres, targeting a new reservoir discovered in 2010 in the Gamba formation. The Transocean Constellation II jack-up rig has now been moved to a second slot on the same platform to drill the North Tchibala 1-H well targeting the Dentale formation in another previously unproduced field, North Tchibala.

Houston-based CAMAC Energy has awarded a contract for the acquisition of a 3D seismic survey to Polarcus. The survey will cover approximately 1,504km2 in the A2 and A5 blocks in the offshore Casamance sub-basin, which forms the southern part of the greater Senegal Basin. “The southern area, including blocks A2 and A5, now has a proven petroleum system in place due to two recent discovery wells on an adjacent offshore Senegal block,” CAMAC said. The company said Cairn Energy’s recent Fan-1 and SNE-1 discoveries were on trend with its blocks.

The government has signed a $45m financing agreement with the Export-Import Bank of India to expand the electricity network and replace asbestos waterpipes in the Greater Banjul area. India also provided funding for the new National Assembly building inaugurated by President Yahya Jammeh in October.

With potential new partners showing interest following Cairn Energy’s two discoveries in Senegalese blocks immediately to the north, the government has restored African Petroleum Corporation’s licences for blocks A1 and A4.The licences were cancelled in January for non-performance. African Petroleum had disputed the government’s move and sought arbitration at the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, but proceedings will now be dropped. African Petroleum has negotiated an extension to the first exploration period, which will now expire on 1 September 2016.

The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) on 29 October agreed a $22.5m line of credit (LoC) to finance power grid expansion in the greater Banjul area. Exim Bank now has five LoCs in place for Gambia, but this is the first for the power sector. Exim Bank will reimburse the entire cost of contracts awarded to Indian exporters.

The government has cancelled licences awarded to African Petroleum and Oranto Petroleum for “failure to meet the licence obligations by the licensees”. A statement by the Office of the President in Banjul said the government’s decision was in accordance with the provisions of the country’s petroleum laws. African Petroleum farmed into blocks A1 and A4 held by Canada’s Buried Hill Energy in August 2010, while Oranto held the onshore Lower River Block. “These licences have been terminated with immediate effect. The Gambia government will not allow any institution to acquire licences only to keep them for speculation.

The African Development Bank’s African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) on 28 May signed a $400,000 agreement with Gambia to provide legal assistance in negotiations for independent power projects, transmission schemes and distribution upgrades in the Greater Banjul area. The agreement was signed during the Bank’s annual meetings in Marrakech, where strengthening African governments and utilities’ negotiating capacity has been a prominent theme. The ALSF was created to provide technical legal assistance to strengthen countries’ legal and negotiation capacities in matters pertaining to infrastructure, natural resources and investment agreements.

The Opec Fund for International Development has approved a $12m loan to upgrade the 46MW Kotu thermal power station.

With tougher anti-bribery legislation in place in the US and UK, local partners have been identified as a key vulnerability. Foreign companies need them to help them navigate the local business environment, especially if it is government policy to develop local content.

EGYPT: Qataris drive Mostorod refinery financial close; EGYPT: IFC to lend $100m to Orascom Construction; GAMBIA: Loan for Kotu thermal expansion

Houston-based CAMAC Energy has announced the signing of petroleum exploration, development and production licences for offshore exploration blocks A2 and A5, which were awarded in January

Kase Lawal’s CAMAC Energy has joined Frank Timis’ African Petroleum in licensing exploration acreage offshore The Gambia. CAMAC has agreed to take 85% in blocks A2 and A5, inshore from African Petroleum’s A1 and A4. Gambia National Petroleum Company will be carried at 15% through to first oil.

The government is understood to have approached UK-based developer Aldwych to discuss the potential implementation of a scheme to install a heavy fuel oil (HFO) plant to supply the Greater Banjul area, after pulling out of the project in 2009.