Tag: Africa oil and gas

Uganda vs Heritage: what’s the score?

Apr 4, 2013 6:36pm by Andrew Bowman

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After coming out on top against Heritage Oil in a tax appeal tribunal at home, the Ugandan Revenue Authority claims to be winning the away leg in London as it chases the Jersey-based company for a tax bill of $435m.

Heritage disputes the claim, and says the arbitration is still at a preliminary phase. A swift conclusion seems unlikely, but the case signals a determination on the part of the Ugandan government to ensure it gets a cut of the spoils in its nascent oil industry, and underlines the risks facing investors.

Tags: Africa oil and gas, regulation, tax Posted in Africa, Uganda | Permalink

Chevron commits to $5.6bn African crude investment project

Feb 7, 2013 4:00pm by Andrew Bowman

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Californian oil major Chevron has given the go-ahead to a $5.6bn development project of an Angolan offshore oil field which will be the company’s second largest investment in African crude to date after its Agbami field in Nigeria.

The Mafumeira Sul project, run through Chevron’s subsidiary Cabinda Gulf Oil Company, is scheduled to begin production in 2015, and will eventually pump 110,000 barrels of crude oil per day from five new platforms, Chevron said. Continue reading »

Tags: Africa oil and gas, Chevron, oil & gas, west Africa Posted in Africa, Angola | Permalink

US import drop hits Nigeria oil exports

Jan 31, 2013 3:50pm by Andrew Bowman

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The Nigerian oil industry faces a difficult 2013 as shale oil in the US takes an increasing share of the north American market. Togo-based Ecobank has said that Nigerian crude oil exports to the US could fall by over a quarter this year, from 800,000bpd in 2012 to as low as 580,000bpd in 2013.

Tags: Africa oil and gas, exports, oil prices, shale Posted in Africa, Nigeria | Permalink

Ghana oil finds: small beans for Eni, big deal for Ghana

Jan 21, 2013 4:21pm by Andrew Bowman

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Italian oil giant Eni SpA has confirmed a discovery of around 450m barrels at its Sankofa East field 50km off the coast of Ghana, boosting the west African nation’s overall oil reserves.

About 150m barrels of Eni’s find will be immediately recoverable, according to the company, which says the result “confirms the commercial standing” of its Ghanaian prospects. Plans for exploitation of the reserves are now underway. It’s small beans (relatively) for a company of Eni’s size, but big news for the budding Ghanaian oil industry. Continue reading »

Tags: Africa oil and gas, Eni, exploration, Tullow Oil Posted in Africa, Ghana | Permalink

Tullow: shares hit by writedown

Jan 11, 2013 1:32pm by Andrew Bowman

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When it comes to oil and gas exploration, you win some and you lose some. All the more so when you’re blazing a trail in under-explored destinations like Uganda, Kenya and Ghana.

Shares for the oil explorer Tullow dropped sharply by over 5 per cent per cent as of 1pm in London on Friday to reach 1,159p, as the company released a statement containing details of nearly $300m of expected writedowns from explorations in Guyana, Ghana and Suriname – more than double its $120m of writedowns for 2011. Continue reading »

Tags: Africa oil and gas, exploration, oil & gas, Tullow Oil Posted in Africa | Permalink

Mozambique LNG: into the big league

Dec 21, 2012 3:43pm by Andrew Bowman

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Mozambique’s substantial offshore gas reserves moved a step closer to full development on Friday with the announcement of a heads of agreement between the Italian energy company Eni and the Texas-based Anadarko Petroleum to jointly construct an onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant at an estimated cost of more than $10bn. Continue reading »

Tags: Africa oil and gas Posted in Mozambique | Permalink

Guest post: Ghana’s election is a question of prudence vs continuity

Dec 4, 2012 3:23pm by beyondbrics

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By Yvonne Mhango of Renaissance Capital

Elections in Ghana tend to arouse less uncertainty than those in most of sub-Saharan Africa, due to its relatively stable political environment and mature democracy. This was affirmed by the smooth constitutional transfer of power following President John Atta Mills’s death in July, to his former vice-president, John Dramani Mahama.

However, a tight presidential election on December 7 – like that of 2008 – would increase the political risks. And there is a lot a stake from the ramping up of oil production to dealings with the IMF. Continue reading »

Tags: Africa oil and gas, Ghana politics, guest post, John Atta Mills, sub-Saharan Africa Posted in Africa, Ghana | Permalink

Africa’s extractive industries: dividing the spoils

Oct 17, 2012 8:51am by Avantika Chilkoti

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Gold diggers beware! The World Bank is setting up a trust fund to give African nations some muscle when dealing with foreign investors in the extractive industries. The $50m fund is driven by concerns that African governments are allowing the natural wealth of their country to be chipped and siphoned away, with little benefit to local people.

Recent strikes in South Africa have left foreign investors wary of putting money into African mining. Further challenges won’t be welcome. Continue reading »

Tags: Africa infrastructure, Africa mining, Africa oil and gas, development, foreign investment, GDP Posted in Africa, Global | Permalink

Tanzania: LNG on ice?

Sep 10, 2012 4:58pm by Ruona Agbroko

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When it comes to the giant gas deposits off the coast of East Africa, not everybody is on board. In Tanzania, a political row over exploration has broken out causing a licencing roadshow in three continents to be canned.

The row is between the country’s lawmakers, who are pushing for a ten-year moratorium on new offshore exploration, and the ministry of energy and minerals. But will Tanzania risk falling behind its neighbours, Kenya and Mozambique, in developing LNG? Continue reading »

Tags: Africa oil and gas, oil & gas Posted in Africa, Tanzania | Permalink

S Africa lifts fracking ban

Sep 7, 2012 2:58pm by Ruona Agbroko

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South Africa on Friday lifted a 2011 ban on shale gas exploration in its semi-arid Karoo region, allowing oil majors resume the scramble for exploration licences.

The country’s estimated 485tn cubic feet of technically-recoverable shale gas resources are the fifth largest in the world, placing it just behind China, which has 1,275tn cubic feet, the US, Argentina and Mexico. Continue reading »

Tags: Africa oil and gas, natural resources, oil & gas, South Africa economy Posted in Africa, South Africa | Permalink

Nigeria: three states claim new oil field

Sep 6, 2012 8:04am by Ruona Agbroko

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Three of Nigeria’s states are grappling over a newly-developed oil field that would bring the winner a much-needed boost in tax revenues.

While the dispute concerns less than 3 per cent of the country’s crude production of over 2m barrels of oil a day, establishing control could make a big difference to the cash flows of the states involved – and their political patrons. Continue reading »

Tags: Africa oil and gas, Nigeria economy, oil & gas Posted in Africa, Global, Nigeria | Permalink

West Africa’s oil in demand, but no substitute for Iran

Aug 10, 2012 1:43pm by Kimberly S. Johnson

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Exports of west African oil are on the rise, with Asian nations increasing supplies from the region. According to a recent report by Reuters, China, India, Indonesia, Taiwan and others in the region bought an average of 1.74m barrels of oil per day from west Africa for first nine months of 2012, up about 8 per cent from the same period a year ago.

The 2012 figures represent an overall record for the region, the report states, with exports to Asia rising more than 50 per cent over the last five years to meet growing demand. The reasons for the demand, however are not entirely clear cut. Is this a response to Iranian sanctions, as suggested? Continue reading »

Tags: Africa oil and gas, energy, Iran oil, oil & gas, west Africa Posted in Africa, Iran, MidEast | Permalink

Lake Malawi exploration fuels ownership debate

Aug 8, 2012 1:12pm by Vinjeru Mkandawire

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A 50-year-old border dispute has reignited between Malawi and Tanzania over ownership of Lake Malawi, Africa’s third largest lake. The reason? Oil and gas.

Malawi’s late president, Bingu wa Mutharika, awarded an exploration contract to UK company Surestream Petroleum during mounting tension over entitlement to the lake last October. Surestream was one of seven companies to bid for hydrocarbon exploration licenses in the Lake Malawi basin. Continue reading »

Tags: Africa oil and gas, exploration, land disputes Posted in Africa, Malawi, Tanzania | Permalink

Challenges ahead for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry

Jul 24, 2012 3:21pm by Andrew Bowman

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Africa’s oil and gas industry has gained a lot of new players in recent times, but Nigeria remains by far the biggest producer on the continent. Pumping oil for over 50 years, it still has three times more in reserves than its nearest rival Angola. Its gas reserves could supply the EU for 11 years. However, as a new FT Special Report shows, a range of problems prevent Nigeria realising the potential of these endowments. Continue reading »

Tags: Africa oil and gas, corruption, environment, Niger Delta, Nigeria economy, oil & gas, poverty Posted in Africa, Nigeria | Permalink

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Tag: Africa oil and gas

Uganda vs Heritage: what’s the score?

Chevron commits to $5.6bn African crude investment project

US import drop hits Nigeria oil exports

Ghana oil finds: small beans for Eni, big deal for Ghana

Tullow: shares hit by writedown

Mozambique LNG: into the big league

Guest post: Ghana’s election is a question of prudence vs continuity

Africa’s extractive industries: dividing the spoils

Tanzania: LNG on ice?

S Africa lifts fracking ban

Nigeria: three states claim new oil field

West Africa’s oil in demand, but no substitute for Iran

Lake Malawi exploration fuels ownership debate

Challenges ahead for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry

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