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A report into the Cabo Delgado insurgency and the future of TotalEnergies' Mozambique LNG project has concluded that the security and humanitarian situation is improving, which could lead to work restarting later this year. The Rufin report has also prompted a $200m action plan to address some root causes of the violence, writes Marc Howard.

The $8.5bn framework agreement signed during COP26 to support South Africa in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions – one of the conference’s headline achievements (AE 449/1) – is unlikely to include funding for gas projects, African Energy has been told. The terms of the deal will be heavily influenced by the commitment of a powerful group of countries to immediately halt fossil fuel-related financing. The agreement – which G7 governments intend to use as a model for deals with other countries – is highly dependent on concessional funding, the provision of which is in question.

Afreximbank and the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) have agreed to jointly create the African Energy Transition Bank to fund gas and oil projects and other energy schemes around the continent, at a time when many traditional sources of funding are drying up. However, many details remain to be ironed out, including how it will be funded.

Indian parastatal ONGC Videsh, holder of a 16% net interest in the TotalEnergies-operated Mozambique liquified natural gas (MLNG) development, has provided an update of when it expects force majeure at the 13.1m t/yr project to be lifted.

Discussing progress and slippages in its major development offshore Mauritania and Senegal, BP says its Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project is focused on a ‘sustainable’ production start, rather than racing to dispatch its first LNG cargo. The British supermajor is also focused on completing phase one of the $4.8bn cross-border development prior to advancing with Phase II work, which it said would provide confidence to Dakar, Nouakchott and investors alike

Symbion Power is developing a 60MW biogas-to-power independent power project (IPP) on Lake Kivu in the Goma region. The scheme – which promises a total investment of $300m – will use methane from the Makelele block, which was awarded to Symbion’s local subsidiary Renewable Energy Developments (RED) in January as part of a wider DRC upstream bid round.

BP has awarded Allseas the contract to complete the subsea pipelay scope for its Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, after previous contractor McDermott International was reportedly unable to complete its planned work on the project.

Eni confirmed its ability to bring years of co-operation and strong government relations to bear with an agreement signed on 11 April for state giant Sonatrach to supply up to 9 bcm/yr more gas through the under-used Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline (TMP), which runs to Italy via Tunisia.

London-listed Chariot, Predator, SDX and Sound have all provided recent market updates on their operations in Morocco, where the need to secure new gas flows after the closure of the Europe-Maghreb Gas pipeline last year has given added urgency to the operators’ ambitions.

Aminex has struck a deal with neighbouring operator Pan African Energy Tanzania (PAET) to provide high-resolution 3D seismic data for part of the Kiliwani North Development Licence (KNDL).

South African giant Sasol has announced the completion of the sale of its stake in the 175MW Central Térmica de Ressano Garcia gas power plant in Mozambique.

Africa Oil Corporation has called interest in an offshore farm-out deal ‘staggering’ and Marathon Oil is looking to take advantage of LNG arbitrage opportunities but, while IOCs talk up opportunities, oil production is on a downward trajectory and the political environment remains opaque, writes James Gavin.

Construction is expected to restart in mid-2024 at Mozambique LNG, with a revived financing package expected to be put in place after nearly three years of force majeure, and as the adjacent Rovuma LNG project is also resuming work.

Italy’s Eni and London- and Tel Aviv-listed Energean may get the first results from their Orion well in the North East Hap’y offshore block within a month, it what could be a transformative discovery for Energean, while also providing an early indicator of Egypt’s future as a gas producer.

First discovered in 1974, the offshore Kudu gas field could provide substantial gas-to-power capacity for Namibia’s domestic market and for export to South Africa. Officials say it will proceed independently of recent massive Orange Basin discoveries further south, but industry observers are sceptical of the electricity export plans, citing the lack of transmission infrastructure with South Africa, write Our Namibia Correspondent and Marc Howard.