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Island nations Seychelles, Mauritius and Comoros are assessing initiatives to encourage more private investment in renewable energy, according to a World Bank Group (WBG) report published on 20 September.

Mozambique’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports are expected to be dispatched “on or around” 14 October, shipping industry publication Trade Winds said on 21 September citing sources working with Eni’s Coral Sul 3.4m t/yr floating liquid natural gas (FLNG) plant. The Rome-headquartered supermajor is said to be moving towards ordering a second FLNG vessel.

Zambia has, in the past 12 months – and with a new International Monetary Fund facility now in place – sought to reform petroleum trading, to help reduce the government’s liabilities, including some $500m in arrears to fuel suppliers, and ensure pump prices becomes more responsive to market dynamics.

Recently dismissed National Oil Corporation chairman Mustafa Sanalla claims his successor Farhat Bengdara is planning a deal with UAE-based Al-Ghurair Group over the Ras Lanuf oil refinery that could end up costing NOC up to $600m/yr. For a decade, Al-Ghurair subsidiary Trasta Energy and NOC have been in a relentless dispute over the Libyan Emirati Refining Company (Lerco) joint venture – and the refinery hasn’t operated since 2013.

Price hikes are expected to follow Zambia’s $1.3bn IMF bailout package, which should help to consolidate economic gains made in the last year. But further reform, including the divestment of state utility Zesco’s operating assets, is causing some trepidation among Zambians.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on 15 September between Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (Onhym), Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) to progress the 7,000km Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project.

Progress has been reported on a $400m compressed natural gas (CNG) plant on the shores of Lake Kivu, at Bwishyura, in the Karongi district of Western Province. Methane gas from Lake Kivu will be converted into CNG, which will be used as a substitute for petrol and diesel fuel and liquid petroleum gas (LPG).

According to energy minister January Makamba, the host government agreement (HGA) for the $30bn Lindi LNG project is expected to be completed by December.

Eni’s Coral Sul floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) platform will dispatch its first cargo “within a few days”, EU high representative Josep Borrell said on 8 September. The senior EU diplomat was talking in Maputo, where he also committed European backing to the Rwanda military mission to Mozambique.

The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG project’s phase one remains on track for first exports by end-2023, with a Phase II development decision expected in Q3 22 for first gas from end-2026. Kosmos Energy says that in a booming global market, it is looking to sell its share of gas into spot markets, even if that means paying penalties to partner BP, writes Marc Howard.

Algeria has reported another marginal increase in its crude output, reporting 1.04m b/d in July, up from 1.027m b/d in June. This rise finally puts Algerian production in line with its Opec+ quota, which also stood at 1.04m b/d in July (AE 465/32).

Algeria's 4.5bcm/yr Touat gas processing plant is expected to resume production “shortly”, in Q3 2022, having been shut-in due to mechanical problems since last November. The unit “remained shut-in throughout the second quarter as repairs and clean-up operations continued”, operator Neptune Energy said in its 11 August Q2 22 results presentation.

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

Eni chairman Claudio Descalzi announced on 2 August that the Italian major expected to export nearly 4.5bn t/yr of natural gas from Republic of Congo (RoC) by 2025, with exports starting in Q4 2023, following the latest of his many meetings with President Denis Sassou N’Guesso.

France’s Perenco started exports of crude oil via the Chad-Cameroon pipeline in late July, following its acquisition of exploration and production assets including PetroChad Mangara from Swiss commodity trading giant Glencore.