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Operator Chariot Oil & Gas has begun a 1,700km 2D seismic survey in its offshore Central blocks 2312 & 2412A. The survey is being acquired by SeaBird Exploration. Chariot and its partners have agreed to carry out a 2D survey to infill an existing grid of data to gain a better understanding of the regional prospectivity of the licence area, which covers approximately 16,800km2. This will enable Chariot to optimise the location and size of the 3D seismic programme required as a commitment during this current phase of exploration.

Société Béninoise d’Energie Electrique (SBEE) expects to invite prequalification applications for the design, supply and installation of a 25MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) park at Illoulofin in the commune of Pobé in southern Benin by May 2018. The contract also requires assistance with the operation and maintenance of the project for a period of three years and training of SBEE staff.

Tullow Ghana has given Technip, in consortium with Subsea7, two contracts for the Tweneboa-Enyenra-Ntomme (Ten) development. The contracts have a combined value of $1.23bn, with a Technip share of about $730m. Technip’s scope of work includes the engineering, fabrication and installation of nine flexible risers, three flexible flowlines and 12 flexible spools, totalling 48km; the engineering, fabrication and installation of 33km of water injection and gas injection rigid flowlines; installation of about 63km of static and dynamic umbilicals; engineering, prefabrication, final assembly and installation of ten rigid jumpers; and delivery of a further six prefabricated rigid jumpers.


As the standoff with Khartoum continues, South Sudan is looking at alternatives for its oil. Three refinery projects are in discussion and an export pipeline to Kenya seems increasingly likely, writes Richard Nield

Equatorial Guinea plans an Energy Year in 2019, promoting the sector while marking 50 years of independence from Spain. The government plans a series of events, starting with the biennial summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Malabo. Mines and hydrocarbons minister Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima said Malabo was also aiming to host ministerial meetings of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, as well as a ministerial meeting of the African Petroleum Producers Association along with a conference and exhibition.

The government plans to advertise at least five oil exploration licences repossessed from companies that failed to meet work programme obligations, according to mines and minerals development permanent secretary Paul Chanda. Currently, Zambia has 12 active exploration licences from the 17 it initially issued to foreign and local firms scouting for oil and gas in Africa’s second biggest copper producer.

Uganda has launched its first licensing round, offering six blocks in the Albertine Graben totalling 2,938km2. The blocks cover areas relinquished by Tullow, Total and CNOOC, and have seismic and well data, and in some cases smaller oil and gas discoveries. Energy and mineral development minister Irene Muloni told African Energy in November a key priority for the government in the bid round would be to encourage service providers to increase efficiency and push down costs, so as to minimise their cost recovery and maximise the state’s share.

India’s Vikram Solar has partnered Johannesburg-based Powertech Africa to sell its solar PV modules to utility-scale projects and households in 14 African countries. Powertech Africa – which has established a network of offices providing electricity distribution products and is a subsidiary of Allied Electronics Corporation Ltd (Altron) – will be sales agent, selling 250Wp Eldora Ultima 60 cell modules. By May, the pair hope to have sold modules amounting to capacity of 1MW.

The government is working on the final – and most sensitive – phase of its price liberalisation and subsidy reduction programme, covering butane and sugar, general affairs and governance minister Mohammed Louafa told the lower house of parliament on 8 June. But implementation of the reform “will be the responsibility of the government named following the general election on 7 October”, Louafa said. This saves the current administration courting unpopularity in the four months before polling.

The West African Power Pool (WAPP) General Secretariat invites expressions of interest by 2 October from consulting firms to provide technical assistance for the optimisation of the 88MW Mount Coffee hydropower plant. All four 22MW units at the refurbished plant on the Saint Paul River were synchronised with the grid in May 2017, marking the return to full operation of the run-of-river station for the first time since 1990, when it was largely destroyed during the country’s civil war.

AIM-listed Ncondezi Energy has suspended talks with Shanghai Electric Power (SEP) on its 300MW coal-to-power scheme in Tete province, saying the Chinese company had not come up with funding for the project. The companies signed a joint development agreement in January 2016 for SEP to invest up to $25.5m for a 60% stake in the project. Ncondezi said it would now talk to other potential partners that had expressed interest.

The government has ratified an agreement for Canada’s Talisman Energy to take over the operatorship of Block SL-4B-10 (AE 231/13).

Move by the US major puts a couple of small players in an enviable position in one of the West Coast Transform Margin’s emerging E&P plays, writes Thalia Griffiths

The US Trade and Development Agency signed an agreement on 24 March to provide a grant of $645,000 to the Ghana Grid Company to fund a feasibility study

London-based Solo Oil has said it plans to take up its option for a 12.5% interest in the Ruvuma production-sharing contract (PSC) in south-east Tanzania from Aminex subsidiary Ndovu Resources (AE 176/17).