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Organisers made big claims about investment flows at the AfDB-backed Africa Investment Forum 2023 Market Days event in Morocco, James Gavin reports from Marrakech.

Dodoma and Kampala have signed a bilateral agreement to jointly fund a feasibility study for a new pipeline to send gas from southern Tanzania to Uganda.

First discovered in 1974, the offshore Kudu gas field could provide substantial gas-to-power capacity for Namibia’s domestic market and for export to South Africa. Officials say it will proceed independently of recent massive Orange Basin discoveries further south, but industry observers are sceptical of the electricity export plans, citing the lack of transmission infrastructure with South Africa, write Our Namibia Correspondent and Marc Howard.

Kosmos Energy has taken an operated stake in the 25tcf offshore Yakaar-Teranga gas field, following BP’s exit, and says it intends to export up to 3m t/yr of LNG. Longstanding plans to supply local offtakers through a new pipeline are also set to continue. Meanwhile the cross-border Senegal-Mauritania LNG development continues, but progress could be held up as the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project’s FPSO awaits repairs off Durban, writes Marc Howard.

UK-headquartered independents are leading the way in developing Morocco’s onshore and offshore gas resources, as the government seeks to boost domestic supplies and reduce its reliance on expensive imports via Spain. Among recent activity, Chariot has secured environmental approval for its 1.5tcf offshore Anchois development, writes James Gavin.

With first oil expected from Lake Albert by early 2026, an array of associated infrastructure is under development, including the controversial Eacop pipeline. Shunned by western financiers, Chinese debt is expected to rescue Eacop, with a financing package due to be finalised in the coming weeks. Kampala has also signalled its appetite to intervene in energy markets by taking a majority stake in the Kabalega refinery, writes Marc Howard in Hoima.

Ara Petroleum Tanzania (APT) has confirmed the completion of its acquisition of an additional 25% interest in the Ruvuma production-sharing agreement (PSA) from London AIM-listed Scirocco Energy.

Karadeniz’s subsidiary Karpowership South Africa has secured environmental approval to proceed with the 450MW Richards Bay gas-to power plant.

Amid fresh speculation that it is eyeing up an entry into Mozambique’s Rovuma LNG project, Abu Dhabi National Oil Corporation (Adnoc) looks set to become a more active participant in upstream projects in Africa, so long as natural gas is on the agenda.

Australian Stock Exchange (ASX)-listed Botala Energy has spudded the Serowe 3.3 well, the second of four wells being drilled to test for coal bed methane (CBM) at Serowe, in Botswana’s Central District.

African liquified natural gas (LNG) projects will emerge as a major investment theme, consultancy WoodMackenzie has predicted, but the oil sector is likely to struggle to offset declines at maturing assets.

Seven plaintiffs have filed a criminal complaint with Paris prosecutors against TotalEnergies, accusing the French major of negligence and indirect manslaughter during the March 2021 attack on Palma by Islamist insurgents.

Reports suggest Italian major Eni expects to reach a final investment decision (FID) for its Coral Norte floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) plant by June 2024. The 3.4m t/yr Coral Sul development dispatched its first LNG cargo last November, supplied by six subsea wells drilled in the Coral field.

The Shema Power Lake Kivu (SPLK) independent power producer (IPP) in Rwanda has started supplying the grid, project director Tony de la Motte told African Energy. While the onshore methane-to-power plant has been fully commissioned, an equipment breakdown means SPLK is not yet at its full commercial operating capacity.  African Energy has taken a closer look at the project and the progress of other planned Lake Kivu power plants.

BP has awarded Allseas the contract to complete the subsea pipelay scope for its Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, after previous contractor McDermott International was reportedly unable to complete its planned work on the project.