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Some MD1,586m ($199m) was invested in hydrocarbons exploration in 2009, of which MD1,497m was spent by Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (Onhym’)s partners, according to

Speculation is growing that the political order has changed in important ways in recent weeks, during which ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has remained in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment amid growing concern that a dangerous power vacuum is growing. Most analysts still believe Yar’Adua will hold on to his job for as long as he lives

The much-anticipated launch of a hydrocracker at Morocco’s main Mohammedia refinery has been delayed until February or March, senior Ministry

EGYPT: Fuel subsidies remain big drain on budget; LIBYA: Turkey asks for direct crude sales; KENYA: Vitol to buy Mombasa storage terminal; UGANDA: Foster Wheeler wins refinery feasibility study; VOPAK/ZAMIL: Mena region LNG venture

For long flared or just ignored, gas has emerged as a critical energy source for local use and export as demand has risen across the continent and consumers world-wide have looked to book secure supplies.

Sasol and the Indonesian government signed a memorandum of understanding on 3 December for a screening study on the viability of an integrated coal-to-liquids (CTL) project using Sasol’s proprietary technology.

In just seven years, Nock has turned its back on Moi-era stagnation to increase its downstream market share and revive interest in upstream exploration, writes Kimemia Mugo in Nairobi

China National Petroleum Corporation has signed three new agreements with the government: a memorandum of understanding on the Khartoum refinery’s second-phase expansion, advance payment for crude trading and an agreement to swap equity between CNPC’s Block 6 and Petronas’s Block 5A (see Upstream industry pointers).

Malabo is pushing on with efforts to turn Equatorial Guinea into a regional gas hub by announcing that a “master plan” for Equatorial Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas (EGLNG)’s second train is expected to make significant progress by mid-2010, although doubts remain about whether enough gas is available.

GAZPROM: Into the trans-Atlantic business; SAMIR: Bitumen contract; SAMIR: Maintenance deal; SASOL: Carbon capture MoU; SONATRACH: Gasoline cooler contract

Undaunted by disappointments in its offshore – where the once much-hyped Chinguetti oil field is now producing only around 9,000 b/d – Mauritania has high hopes for onshore exploration and gas development. France’s Total, which is leading a pack of exploration companies with large licences in the unexplored Taoudeni Basin, is drilling its first well at Block Ta8, where it is expecting to find oil and gas. The well spudded in October and is expected to take around 100 days to drill. Total says it will drill a second well in 2010.

Royal Dutch Shell and partners are still considering whether to move forward with the second phase of the Gbaran Ubie oil and gas project, which will monetise another 3.4trn ft3 of gas extracted from the field.

There were mixed signals from Accra as Nigerian-owned Sahara Group was reported to have opened talks about once more lifting oil under a long-term contract to supply Ghanaian power plants.

Gazprom has announced a start date for work on the long-awaited Kudu gas-to-power project, and NamPower has raised more funds in the domestic market, boosting confidence in Namibia’s ability to meet domestic demand and play a significant role in the regional industry, write Thalia Griffiths in Cape Town and Kevin Godier

State-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (Egas) on 29 October said that plans for a second liquefied natural gas train at Damietta had been postponed until enough gas reserves were found.