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Petrodel Resources representatives are expected in Dodoma in the coming weeks to meet with state Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and the Ministry of Energy. The company caused some surprise on 25 May when it issued a statement saying it planned to invest $100m across three licence areas, with $80m earmarked for Tanga to meet first well commitments and $20m for Kimbiji and Latham, to bring them into production by 2025.

By replacing Mustafa Sanalla as NOC chairman with Qadhafi-era central bank governor Farhat Bengdara, Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dabaiba has bought himself time and granted a major concession to his chief opponent, Khalifa Haftar. This potentially opens the door to some kind of compromise – but how a critical institution that has maintained operational independence and kept Libyan oil flowing throughout 12 years of conflict survives the change is another question.

Reports that Russian crude is being transhipped off the West African coast and in Egypt signal a fast-changing  oil market as Asian buyers access cheap crude rejected by western buyers. This has implications for African producers, while market sources say there are also signs of Russian crude ending up in products sold in Africa

Norway’s DNO has agreed to pay $117.25m to acquire Mondoil Enterprises, which in turn holds a 33.3% stake in Foxtrot International, which has interests in offshore gas and associated liquids in Côte d'Ivoire. DNO is buying Mondoil from United Arab Emirates-based RAK Petroleum.

Australia’s Woodside Energy on 30 August said that phase one of the 563m bbl Sangomar oil development was 63% complete and first oil is expected in H2 2023. Five of 23 wells have been drilled.

Tullow Oil’s proposed acquisition of Capricorn Energy is facing significant opposition from the latter’s shareholders, including Madison Avenue Partners, Kite Lake Capital Management, Legal & General Investment Management, Newtyn Management and Palliser Capital UK.

Khartoum is prepared to offer new oil exploration and production blocks to Moscow-headquartered Zarubezhneft, Sudanese Oil Production Department director Eltahir Mohammed told Russia’s Interfax news agency on 19 August.

Mauritania’s energy minister Abdessalam Ould Mohamed Saleh has said the government hopes to agree a business plan with BP for the 50tcf BirAllah gas project in the next two to three years.

Eni has announced the completion of its acquisition of UK supermajor BP’s assets in Algeria, including working interests in the In Amenas (45.89%) and In Salah (33.15%) gas fields, which together produced 11bcm in 2021. The purchase adds to a flow of recent deals has buttressed Eni’s position as the leading international oil company (IOC) in north-west Africa.

London AIM-listed Sound Energy on 14 September announced a ruling against it by tax authorities it its dispute with the Moroccan tax authorities. Sound estimated the ruling could cost it $19.7m in back taxes; it has 60 days to accept the decision or challenge it in court.

Government agency the Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone (PDSL) has extended its fifth offshore licensing round until 27 January 2023, giving the positive spin that there is “increased interest in the upstream sector in West Africa”. Potential bidders can review 29,000km of 2D and 11,000km2 of 3D seismic data.

The floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel for Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) Phase I has been completed and “will soon sail to Mauritania and Senegal”, France’s Technip Energies NV said on 12 September.

Houston-listed Vaalco Energy has secured government approval for the Venus Block P development plan in Equatorial Guinea, where the company now has an 80% participation interest in the project and is the operator.

South Sudan has warned it could quit the Opec+ grouping if it is not allowed to hike crude production to 230,000 b/d by 2024, an increase of around 70,000 b/d on current output.

TotalEnergies is to face a group of environmental pressure groups in a French court on 7 December, in a dispute over the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) and Tilenga projects in Uganda and Tanzania.