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Angolan energy and water minister João Baptista Borges held talks in Kinshasa on 28 February with his Congolese counterpart, Jean-Marie Ingele Foto. The two ministers discussed power supply options for Angola’s Cabinda enclave, which is cut off from the rest of Angola by DRC territory and thus cannot receive power from the Angolan grid.

President Salva Kiir has named a new petroleum minister in the national unity government announced on 12 March. Puot Kang Chol, an aide to first vice-president Riek Machar, takes over the oil portfolio as one of nine ministers from Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition. Machar’s wife Angelina Teny has been appointed defence and veterans’ affairs minister. Kang’s predecessor Awow Daniel Chuang is now ministry undersecretary.

Gabon plans to launch a licensing round in January for 42 prospective deep-water and ultra-deep blocks offering pre-salt exploration potential. A previous government cancelled plans for a bid round two years ago, announcing that it was opting for direct negotiation. Oil, energy and water resources minister Etienne Ngoubou, who was appointed in February, told African Energy in an interview the bid round would be governed by the new Petroleum Code, which is close to completion.

West Africa oil exporters are scrambling to deal with a sharp drop in Chinese import demand caused by the coronavirus. China imported around 1.3m b/d of West African crude before the economic jolt caused by the virus. Imports fell to 1.1m b/d in February, causing major disruption to the key market for many sub-Saharan African oil exporters, according to tanker data and crude-loading programmes.Chinese refiners have cut throughputs by around 1.5m b/d since the start of this year or roughly 10% of typical refinery runs.

National Oil Corporation chairman Shukri Ghanem appears to have defected to the opposition, taking with him vital intelligence on the regime's fuel supplies, in a major blow to Muammar Qadhafi's hopes of clinging to power, writes John Hamilton

Angus MacAskill has quit as chief executive of Sterling Energy after three years in the post. Executive chairman Alastair Beardsall has stepped in as interim chief executive. MacAskill joined Sterling during the drilling of the Sangaw North #1 exploration well in Kurdistan, where Sterling has now relinquished the licence, and led the company through the introduction of Murphy Oil as a partner on the Ntem licence in Cameroon.

According to a report published in July by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining, Juba is evaluating three alternatives for a new oil export pipeline that would end its dependence on two existing pipelines via Sudan. The three routes under consideration are: from Upper Nile State via Ethiopia to Djibouti; from Unity State to Lamu in Kenya; and from Unity State via Uganda to Mombasa in Kenya. The Lamu option would cost an estimated $4bn, while the other routes would each cost $3bn, according to the report.

Critics argue that for all the talk of reform in the past two decades, elements of the Algerian state remain rotten at their core. Other observers say the situation has improved markedly during the Bouteflika years, and “technical irregularities” of the sort that have overwhelmed Sonatrach’s senior cadres will be quickly overcome. According to Algerian and international business sources contacted by African Energy,

President Uhuru Kenyatta on 12 March signed into law the long-awaited Petroleum Bill 2017, which will regulate oil exploration and production and set out revenue-sharing provisions, and the Energy Bill 2017, which establishes three national entities to manage Kenya’s energy resources.The petroleum law will provide a framework for contracting, exploring, developing and producing hydrocarbons. It will be used to create a national policy for operations and as a reference point in the establishment of petroleum institutions.

The South Sudan petroleum ministry is continuing its efforts to pre-finance crude deals to support the continued functioning of the government and its war effort. “We have pre-financing deals with Trafigura and BB Energy,” petroleum minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth told African Energy in an interview. Dutch trader Trafigura has signed several pre-financing deals with Juba since independence, usually for several months at a time. Lebanon-based BB Energy is a relatively new entrant to the South Sudan market, but has been taking an increasing share of cargoes in recent months.

More evidence is expected from UK authorities and South African sources as part of the investigation into the use of the UK’s banking system by the Gupta brothers, Lord Hain of Neath – Peter Hain – told African Energy. Letters from Hain to the chancellor, Phillip Hammond, last month instigated investigations by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), National Crime Agency, and the Serious Fraud Office. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has begun investigating in the United States and evidence has been submitted to the European Union, although an investigation has not yet begun.

No one doubts Dr Rilwanu Lukman’s pedigree in the Nigerian oil industry, but his return as oil minister last year, formalising his central role in shaping the Yar’Adua administration’s policy,

No one was seriously expecting that President Lansana Conté’s death would be followed by a smooth democratic transition, and the coup carried out by young officers supported by army chief General Mamadouba Toto Camara was not exactly a surprise.

President Salva Kiir’s dramatic sacking of his cabinet removes two key critics of the South Sudan leader who were also leading figures in negotiations with the north over oil exports, raising fears that talks could be affected as another deadline looms. Kiir dismissed his entire administration on 23 July in a sudden move that he claimed was driven by the need to clamp down on corruption and reduce the number of cabinet posts. Vice president Riek Machar was sacked, and Pagan Amum, secretary-general of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), was suspended. Both have been critical of Kiir, provoking suggestions that the reshuffle was politically motivated.

In this still young century, China has emerged as by far Africa’s biggest economic partner, establishing a vast footprint across the continent at breakneck speed. As many ties with the west have declined – especially following the 2008-09 global financial crisis – Chinese engagement shows no sign of diminishing. This will be underlined when heads of state gather in Beijing for the next Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit in September.