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A sharp surge in forecourt prices has not been stemmed by the start of local gasoline sales from Dangote’s 650,000 b/d facility. This has caused a lingering dispute between Dangote and NNPC to burst in to the open, offering a glimpse of the fierce rivalry between the billionaire magnate and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Nigerian government needs an urgent boost after essential macroeconomic reform measures sparked huge public opposition. By placing President Bola Tinubu at the centre of plans to revive long stalled projects, Abuja can point to the potential for a better economic performance ahead – at least in the longer term – while opponents test the administration’s resilience with the threat of more short-term disorder.

The scale of the green hydrogen (GH2) opportunity emerging in North Africa is potentially transformative for the region. However, to date just one tiny pilot project is up and running and there is still no firm evidence that giga-scale projects can be made bankable. If the prospect is a mirage, it is one that has taken in a swathe of respected global investors. With an ever-increasing amount riding on the outcome, failure will be a disaster, but success could revolutionise the fortunes of the region, writes John Hamilton.

Egypt has the most prospective portfolio of green hydrogen development prospects anywhere in Africa. The multi-billion-dollar projects for which major global investors have signed framework agreements could be a lifeline for the heavily indebted country but will take years to come to fruition. However, two much smaller projects developed by Norway’s Scatec have secured firm offtake commitments, offering another way forward.

Oando’s completion of its NAOC purchase has likely served to expedite the process of local players buying mature assets from IOCs – a precedent that bodes well for further deals, although challenges will still need to be worked through. Meanwhile, NNPC has signalled renewed focus on backing long-stalled LNG prospects, writes James Gavin.

Its domestic renewable energy industry may just be getting back on track after years of delay, but Tunisia has already launched one of the most ambitious green hydrogen development programmes in Africa, which it is promoting together with longstanding electric power export schemes.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is back in Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC)’s sightlines, after the state giant in early September greenlit development of the country’s first floating LNG (FLNG) plant, after a lengthy delay.  NNPC has also announced that it has held talks with investors to revive the long-delayed Brass Liquefied Natural Gas and Olokola Liquefied Natural Gas (OK LNG) projects.

The first round of land allocations in Morocco’s green hydrogen investment process may soon be completed and is likely to include substantial areas in the contested territory of Western Sahara. African Energy has identified projects requiring the installation of at least 72GW of wind and solar generation, and more are likely to follow.

The contract award – along with a second, concurrent Feed deal awarded to another player – paves the way for progress at the onshore LNG megaproject, with a final investment decision now pencilled in for 2026. It has been confirmed that the project will proceed on a modular basis, with the liquefaction process powered by electricity, implying a significant power generation requirement.   There are signs that work will also formally resume on the nearby, 15.2m t/yr TotalEnergies-operated Mozambique LNG (MLNG) project later this year.

Crude oil cargoes worth some $400m have been exported from Libya by an obscure private company, in the latest sign of a breakdown of authority in the country. Blockades and force majeure stoppages at other oil facilities, along with the exile of a controversial central bank governor, threaten to plunge the country into an existential crisis. It comes as the compromises which have helped to contain civil conflicts since the fall of the Qadhafi regime look ever harder to sustain, writes John Hamilton

A new African uranium frontier is set to open soon, with Mauritania’s first yellowcake mine on the cusp of a major milestone. ASX- and London AIM-listed Aura Energy's chief executive Andrew Grove told African Energy that discussions were taking place to finalise $250m of debt and equity funding for its 2m lb/yr Tiris mine.  

A final investment decision for Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed Bannerman Energy’s Etango uranium mine in Namibia is expected by end-2024. The junior’s chief executive Gavin Chamberlain told African Energy that good progress had been made on the project.

Uranium industry figures say African producers should benefit from the growing interest around the world in developing more nuclear power, after a long slump following the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan. Established producers such as Namibia – which could become the world’s second-largest producer in the next decade – Niger and Malawi are eyeing greater output, while others such as Mauritania are preparing to enter the market, writes Marc Howard.

GoviEx is expanding its presence in Zambia with an option for a uranium exploration licence in Eastern Province. The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) Venture-listed miner told African Energy at the World Nuclear Association (WNA)’s symposium in London in early September that it expected the feasibility study for its Muntanga project in Zambia’s Southern Province to be completed this year.

Nasdaq Stockholm-listed Tethys Oil has recommended its shareholders accept a takeover offer from Australia’s Roc Oil Company, which values the company at $186m. Tethys’s main area of operations is Oman, but it also recently signed a deal with Algerian national oil company Sonatrach covering oil and gas exploration in two areas.