West Africa 
And the winners are...
Nigeria finally awards Petroleum Prospecting Licences to new Marginal Fields awardees
On June 28th, Nigeria held a grand ceremony in Abuja to unveil its Host Communities Development Regulations and Petroleum Prospecting Licences (PPLs) under its newly-adopted Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
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Thermal power
Senegal: inauguration of the new 120 MW Malicounda power plant
The power plant will initially consume diesel and HFO but has been designed to switch to natural gas as soon as gas becomes available from Senegal’s domestic offshore fields.
Deep-water
TotalEnergies to start Nigeria deep-water drilling campaign in February 2023
TotalEnergies is expected to start its much-anticipated infill drilling campaign offshore Nigeria in February 2023, with spudding expected on February 15th.
Natural gas
Ghana embarks on expansion of its gas processing infrastructure
The Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) has signed a project agreement for the construction of a second gas processing plant of 150 MMscf/d at Atuabo in Western Ghana. Train 2 will double gas processing capacity at Atuabo, where a first train of 150 MMscf/d was commissioned in 2015.
M&A
Norway’s DNO enters Côte d’Ivoire’s as it looks for more African oil & gas deals
By acquiring Mondoil Enterprises in an all-share transaction, DNO gains a 33.33% indirect interest in Foxtrot International, operator of the producing block CI-27 and exploration block CI-12 in Côte d’Ivoire.
Exploration
Côte d’Ivoire: Eni increases reserves at Baleine discovery by 25% with second successful well
Italian major Eni has announced the successful drilling and testing of the Baleine East-1X well within Block CI-802 offshore Côte d’Ivoire.
Mining
New joint-venture incorporated to unlock Simandou iron ore blocks development in Guinea
The incorporation of the TransGuinean joint-venture follows the signing of a Framework Agreement in March 2022 to facilitate investment decisions for the co-financing and co-development of the project.
LNG
Mauritania: FID expected in 2025 on bp’s BirAllah gas hub
The new EPSC signed in October 2022 for Block C8 provides for 30 months of studies and planning before submitting a development plan for the BirAllah gas field, where a final investment decision (FID) is now expected in the first half of 2025.
Natural Gas
Genser Energy raises $435m to expand Ghana’s midstream gas infrastructure
The American company will expand its gas pipeline network by 100km, build a 200 MMscf/d gas conditioning plant, and develop a natural gas liquids (NGLs) terminal in Takoradi.
Brownfield projects
BREAKING: Shell starts tendering process for Bonga North subsea tie-back project
The Shell Nigeria Exploration & Production Co. (SNEPCo) has issued the long-awaited pre-qualification documents for the Bonga North deep-water field development on OML 118 in Nigeria.
Exploration
Sierra Leone launches 5th Petroleum Licensing Round
The Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone officially launched the country’s 5th Petroleum Licensing Round in London. In total, 63,643km2 of offshore acreage is up for grab across 56 graticular blocks of some 1,360km2 each.
LNG
AG&P delivers world’s first modular FSRU in Senegal
AG&P has completed the conversion of the 84 MMscf/d modular floating storage and regasification unit (M-FSRU) that will deliver LNG to the 236 MW Karadeniz Powership Aysegul Sultan in the Port of Dakar.
Industrialisation
Nigeria commissions world’s second largest granulated urea plant
Dangote Fertilizer's $2.5bn twin train facility produces urea and ammonia, and is located next to the 650,000 bpd Dangote refinery and petrochemicals complex, where operations are yet to start.
Nigeria
ANDRITZ selected once again for new unit at Jebba hydropower plant
ANDRITZ will also modernise unit 2G5 at the 578.4 MW Jebba hydroelectric station in Nigeria, as part of a general rehabilitation programme at the facility.
Exploration
Chariot announces significant gas discovery offshore Morocco
The new discovery at Anchois-2 will help to expand the Anchois gas field and possibly expand the scale of its gas development in the future.
Hydropower
Mali: official inauguration of the 140 MW Gouina hydropower plant
In December, Mali, Guinea, Mauritania and Senegal celebrated the inauguration of the 140 MW Gouina hydropower plant on the Senegal River.
Solar PV
AMEA Power to expand Togo’s flagship solar PV plant
AMEA Power has secured $25m in debt from the Abu Dhabi Exports Office to expand Togo’s Blitta solar PV facility.
Nigeria
Addax Petroleum officially exits Nigeria, transfers offshore blocks to NNPC
On November 1st, Addax Petroleum Development Nigeria Ltd signed a Transfer, Settlement and Exit Agreement (TSEA) with NNPC Ltd for offshore blocks OML 123, OML 124, OML 126, and OML 137.
Refining
Nigeria: Daewoo E&C intends to “fix” both Kaduna and Warri refineries
Both refineries were initially scheduled for full rehabilitation under a $1.484bn contract with Italian contractor Saipem, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in August 2021. However, the deal fell through and led to the restructuring of both initiatives as cheaper, “quick fix” projects executed by Daewoo E&C.
Wind energy
Cape Verde planning expansion of Cabeolica wind farms
Cabeólica S.A., owner of the four wind farms on the islands of Santiago, São Vicente, Sal and Boa Vista in Cape Verde, signed last October an MoU for the expansion of its facilities. The agreement targets an expansion of the Santiago facility at Monte São Filipe by 13 MW, along with the installation of 2 x 5 MW energy storage batteries on the islands of Santiago and Sal.
Deepwater
Nigeria: renewal of six key deep-water PSCs paves way for fresh investments
NNPC Ltd has revealed that it has resolved disputes with several production sharing contractors in Nigeria and renewed the respective production sharing contracts (PSC) accordingly.
Gas-to-power
Côte d'Ivoire adds 180 MW to flagship thermal power plant in Abidjan
The Azito facility has been under expansion since 2019 under the Azito 4 project, which includes the new 180 MW gas turbine inaugurated in June 2022, and a 74 MW steam turbine.
Refining
TechnipEnergies completes Senegal’s refinery expansion project
At the end of June, TechnipEnergies completed the flagship ACATBS project at the SAR Refinery in Dakar.
Downstream
Amidst higher oil prices, Ghana wants to speed up refining sector growth
With the prices of petroleum products reaching historic highs this year, the country is faced with an increasing import bill that puts pressure on its ability to meet budget requirements.
M&A
After Shell, TotalEnergies also seeks to divest from SPDC JV in Nigeria
TotalEnergies has announced during its Q1 2022 Results Call today that it will put up for sale its 10% interest in the Shell Petroleum Development Co. (SPDC) JV in Nigeria.
Railways
Dakar gets brand new “TER”, France’s renowned train and coach service
The new service can transport over 100,000 people across the 36km between Dakar and Diamniadio, and currently counts 14 stations.
Nigeria
Afreximbank provides $50m boost to Nigeria's first integrated power project
During the second Intra-African Trade Fair in Durban, the Afreximbank signed a $50m term loan facility with Geometric Power for its Aba Integrated Power Project in Nigeria.
Renewable Energy
Lekela is studying the expansion of West Africa’s biggest wind farm
Lekela has signed a grant agreement with the U.S. DFC to fund a feasibility study for a 100 MW extension of its Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye (PETN).
PPP
Meridiam signs $250m Concession Agreement for Burkina Faso’s Donsin-Ouagadougou Airport
Once completed, the new Donsin international airport will replace the current Ouagadougou-Taamsê International Airport.