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Norway’s Aker ASA has made a first foray into African exploration with the operatorship of the South Deepwater Tano block. The award by Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has been ratified by parliament. Aker will have 85% in the block, alongside GNPC with 10% and Aker’s local partner Chemu Power Ltd with 5%.

One of the world’s poorest countries needs a major oil find to help kick-start its economy. In additional content for subscribers to electronic editions, African Energy looks at some economic and political issues in Ethiopia and Eritrea, and provides an update on oil exploration blocks in the fractured state of Somalia and its territories.

ExxonMobil has signed production-sharing contracts (PSCs) for new ultra-deep blocks CI-602 and CI-603. The two blocks, in water depths of 3,000 to 4,000 metres, cover areas of 3,874km² and 5,543km² respectively. Six new ultra-deep blocks immediately south of the country’s existing acreage were unveiled at a roadshow in Houston on 14 October.Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abidjan on 16 December, oil minister Adama Toungara said Côte d’Ivoire had signed 22 new PSCs in the three years since Alassane Ouattara became president, and more than 20 development and exploration wells had been drilled.

Operator Sonangol P&P is preparing to start a two-well exploration programme on the Cabinda Onshore North Block by the end of July. Partner SOCO International said final preparations were under way at the Dinge 20-6 and Dinge 20-7 well locations.

The Libyan government’s decision to investigate allegations of impropriety against Canada’s Verenex Energy represents a further strengthening of its hard line on negotiations with international partners.

In Kenya, Tullow is hoping to replicate its success in Uganda, while Anadarko Petroleum Corporation is hoping to repeat its success offshore Mozambique.

Statoil has announced a new natural gas discovery with the Mdalasini-1 exploration well on the southern edge of Block 2. Partner ExxonMobil did not participate in the well, which was drilled in a water depth of 2,296 metres, encountering gas in Tertiary and Cretaceous sandstones. Reserves are estimated at 1-1.8tcf of natural gas in place, bringing the total of in-place volumes in the block to approximately 22tcf. “The Mdalasini-1 discovery marks the completion of the first phase of an efficient and successful multi-well exploration programme offshore Tanzania,” said Nick Maden, senior vice-president for Statoil’s exploration activities in the Western Hemisphere.

The United Arab Emirates’ Dodsal Group has discovered 2.17tcf of gas reserves in the Ruvu Basin Block west of Dar es Salaam, according to local media reports. Dodsal acquired the 15,300km2 licence in November 2007. Energy and minerals minister Sospeter Muhongo was quoted as saying the discovery was made last July, but the announcement was delayed because Tanzania was going through a political transition and the Oil and Gas Revenues Management Act 2015, which gives the minister powers to make such a declaration, was not yet operational.

FMC contract; Oil hopes from Sapetro drilling; Songa Saturn to transfer; FAR takes over; Mihambia well spuds

Operator Maersk Oil has announced an oil discovery with the Caporolo-1 exploration well in the Lower Congo Basin.

Sonangol chairman Francisco de Lemos José Maria and Total president Patrick Pouyanné on 21 December signed what Sonangol termed “an agreement of intent… to explore Angola’s ultra-deepwater West concessions”. Total declined to give further details, but Sonangol has delineated a large ultra-deep area outboard from the existing northern blocks. Sonangol said the agreement was “of great importance in the context of promoting increased investment in Angola’s oil sector”.

Upstream regulator Agence Nationale pour la Valorisation des Hydrocarbures may now wait until early 2012 to launch its fourth licensing round.

Rumour and confusion continues to swirl around Algeria's third licensing round. Industry politics

Chariot Oil & Gas has announced that the Prospect S well on PEL 71 in the Walvis Basin did not encounter hydrocarbons. Chariot said the well was drilled to a total measured depth of 4,165 metres to test the stacked targets in Prospect S. The well penetrated the anticipated turbidite reservoir sands, in line with the pre-drill prognosis, but the reservoirs were water-bearing.

Italy’s Eni has announced a gas and condensate discovery in the pre-salt Nyonie Deep prospect in Block D4. The discovery will be welcome news following a string of unsuccessful wells drilled by Ophir Energy and comes as the government negotiates with bidders for new pre-salt blocks offered in a recent licensing round. Eni estimated initial reserves in place at 500m boe. The discovery was made with the NFW Nyonie Deep 1 well, which was drilled in 28 metres of water to a total depth of 4,314 metres.