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President Muhammadu Buhari finally responded to popular concerns over security by replacing his military top team on 26 January. With the economy hobbled by low oil prices and coronavirus, he has allowed a little more economic flexibility, although it remains to be seen whether his costly defence of the naira’s inflated value will be replaced by the foreign exchange market unification favoured by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

At the heart of the Nigerian government’s $1.7bn case against JP Morgan Chase Bank North America in London’s High is the claim that JPM breached Quincecare duties when it transferred $875.7m in a pair of transfers to Nigerian bank accounts controlled by Malabu Oil and Gas in relation to the OPL 245 oil block.  African Energy explains what these duties are and what questions the court will need to answer to decide the claim.

A major gas find by Italian major Eni in the Egyptian deep offshore could have profound consequences for a number of industries. Rising demand for gas-fired electricity in the last decade has all but submerged Egypt’s gas export ambitions, with imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar, Russia and other suppliers expected to meet shortfalls in domestic fuel supply for years to come. According to a range of industry sources who spoke to African Energy, so substantial is the Zohr field – initially estimated at 30tcf – that not only could imports become unnecessary, but export LNG projects could eventually come back on the agenda.

Legal proceedings are due to be launched to challenge fundamental aspects of South Africa’s electricity policy, as the stakes in the battle between the government and environmentalists escalate, writes Dan Marks

The return of controversial executives Matshela Koko and Prish Govender to national utility Eskom was greeted with dismay by civil society organisations and condemned by opposition parties. Governance issues at the utility, coupled with failure to publish interim results, are making it difficult for Eskom to raise money amid concerns that the utility is running out of cash. Failure to publish results could result in the suspension of Eskom bonds on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

On the night of 30-31 March, President Jacob Zuma announced the momentous decision that he was firing respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan, along with nine others from the 35-member cabinet, among them energy minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson. Gordhan was replaced by Malusi Gigaba, an experienced politician considered to be a Zuma supporter.

Switzerland-headquartered commodities giant Glencore said in early December it had reached an agreement with Democratic Republic of Congo under which it will pay $180m to cover present and future claims arising from alleged corruption between 2007-18.

The new Revolution for Prosperity (RFP)-led government has a tough agenda of reforms to enact if it is to turn around Lesotho’s fortunes.  Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s administration has ambitions to make Lesotho self-sufficient in energy, by increasing generation capacity to an extent that the landlocked kingdom could become an electricity (as well as a water) exporter.

A High Court hearing on 21 June marked the latest stage in a long-running dispute over efforts by Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (Tanesco) to replace Jacobsen Elektro as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the expansion of the 185MW Kinyerezi I gas power plant.

An arbitration ruling means National Oil Corporation (NOC) can press ahead with buying out UAE-based Trasta Energy’s 50% stake in the Libyan Emirati Oil Refining Company (Lerco) and regaining full control of the Ras Lanuf oil refinery. The plant could resume operations after a decade of inaction, although at least one major court battle still lies ahead, writes John Hamilton.

The energy-focused group belonging to Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch remains a major player in petroleum products trading and distribution and potentially upstream gas developments during a period when rising prices are adding to popular pressures on the Moroccan government to act and the PM has come under unexpectedly severe personal attack, writes a Special Correspondent, with Jon Marks.

President Tshisekedi is seeking to make waves in upstream oil policy, just as he has in the power and mining sectors since breaking away from his alliance with Joseph Kabila. With the Kabila legacy in question over the controversial Albertine Graben fields, more legal disputes could beckon, but the government sees considerable investment upside, despite the outlook for hydrocarbons looking very different from a decade ago, writes François Misser

There have been further twists in the long-running $10bn arbitration case between the federal government of Nigeria and the British Virgin Islands-registered Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) over a 2010 gas supply and processing agreement (GSPA). There are signs the government may appeal against a US court ruling on sovereign immunity and a trial has now been scheduled at the High Court in London for January 2023.

After a difficult decade during which operations have been interrupted by conflict, disputes over debts and gas supply and allegations of corruption, Norway’s Yara has sold its half-share in the Libyan Norwegian Fertilizer Company (Lifeco) to National Oil Corporation (NOC). On 31 December, NOC announced that it had bought out its partner, meaning that the Marsa Al-Brega-based ammonia and urea production facilities are now owned 75% by the corporation and 25% by the Libyan Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund.

IOCs and business lobbies continue to contest the 2019 decision to impose stricter rules on currency transfers and payments across the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (Cemac). The regulations were promoted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to improve governance and economic management, but companies complain they have been starved of cash for operations in the Central African franc zone .