Nigeria: ExxonMobil on the hunt for two deep-water drilling rigs


ExxonMobil’s subsidiaries in Nigeria are seeking to mobilise two deep-water drilling rigs for a period of three years, with options of a further two years. Under a tender opportunity issued this week, the companies are seeking to conduct drilling, completion, testing, temporary abandonment, and workover activities in water depth ranging from 600m to 1,800m. The […]

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Golar LNG in discussion for four floating LNG projects in Nigeria


This article first appeared on the Hawilti+ terminal on 12 August 2023. Golar LNG has signed a Heads of Terms with Nigeria’s state-owned NNPC Ltd in August 2023 and is currently discussing and developing four floating LNG and gas projects in the country, the company said. It targets to use its 2.4 mtpa Hilli FLNG […]

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Saipem’s Scarabeo 5 drilling rig to be converted into new floating unit for Congo LNG


This article first appeared on the Hawilti+ terminal on 10 August 2023. Saipem has been awarded a contract by Eni Congo to convert its Scarabeo 5 semisubmersible drilling unit into a separation and boosting plant. The converted rig will serve a floating production unit (FPU) for Congo LNG, Eni’s LNG export project currently under-development offshore […]

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Nigeria’s pioneer CNG player taps debt capital markets for expansion


This article first appeared on the Hawilti+ terminal on 19 July 2023. Nigerian natural gas supply company Green Liquified Natural Gas Limited (GLNG) has secured its first debt funding as it looks to boost its operations in Africa’s biggest economy. The company sold NGN5 billion ($6.5m) of 10-year series bonds due 2033 under its NGN50 […]

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Côte d’Ivoire steps up efforts to secure more gas supplies


Côte d’Ivoire has become home to one of Africa’s most resilient energy sector thanks to its gas and hydropower potential, whose development has provided baseload and reliable power for decades. The west African country currently relies on gas supplied by domestic fields for almost 70% of its electricity production. A little over a decade ago, […]

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Africa’s refining industry on the path of recovery, shows new Hawilti report


The reopening of some refineries in Africa and the gradual commissioning of new facilities will mark the recovery of the continent’s downstream industry in 2023, according to Hawilti’s African Refineries Watch published today. While sub-Saharan Africa’s refining capacity is still under-utilised at some 40%, recovery is on the horizon with the re-opening of South Africa’s […]

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BREAKING: British junior enters onshore Angolan blocks with Apex Atlas acquisition


Corcel Plc, an AIM-listed company with interest across battery metals and oil & gas, has acquired a 90% interest in Atlas Petroleum Exploration Worldwide Limited (Apex Atlas), which was recently awarded operated and non-operated interests in onshore oil & gas blocks in Angola. The company is not to be confused with Atlas Petroleum International, the […]

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Opinion: Nigeria’s industry is rising to the twin challenge of decarbonisation and energy security


by Wale Yusuff, Managing Director of Wärtsilä in Nigeria Wale Yusuff, the Managing Director of Wärtsilä in Nigeria, explains how businesses operating in energy-intensive industries like cement or steel are investing in flexible engine technologies to secure reliable and efficient power while also setting the perfect stage to make good on their decarbonisation objectives. Nigeria […]

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Nigeria: continued crude theft and workers’ strike bring production to new low


Nigeria produced 37.35 million barrels of crude oil and condensate in April this year, loosing 10 million barrels from its March production levels, according to data from NUPRC. This brought the country’s average daily oil production below the 1 million barrels of oil per day (bopd) threshold, in a country where production capacity stands at […]

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Congo’s national oil company officially launches ‘Performance 2025’


Congo’s national oil company SNPC organized a gala dinner to celebrate its 25th anniversary and launch its ambitious “Performance 2025” program. The event took place at the Grand Hotel of Kintélé in early May and brought together more than 1,000 people, including SNPC agents, partners, friends and members of the government and Congolese institutions. The […]

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Gabon: Perenco takes step towards gas-to-power production at Mayumba


On April 6th, Perenco has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with several public parties in Gabon towards the development of a 21 MW power plant at Mayumba in the country’s southern region. The agreement was signed by the Ministry of Petroleum and Gas, the Ministry of Energy and Hydraulic Resources, the Ministry of Economy […]

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JUWI South Africa reaches financial close of major wind project amid increasing push for renewables


South African subsidiary of leading renewable energy project developer JUWI has begun construction of the 84MW Wolf Wind project after reaching financial close, as an energy crisis pushes more demand for alternative sources of power in one of Africa’s biggest economies. The facility is projected to begin generating electricity for the South African grid by […]

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Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea agree on offshore cross-border gas cooperation


President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea and President Paul Biya of Cameroon have signed a cooperation agreement on the development of oil & gas reserves at their maritime border in the Gulf of Guinea. The agreement was signed in Yaoundé on the sideline of the 15th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Heads […]

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Angola: ExxonMobil to invest $200m in Namibe Basin exploration


Some $200m is being invested into exploring Blocks 30, 44 and 45 in the frontier Namibe Basin offshore Angola, according to the country’s Ministry of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas (MIREMPET). The blocks are operated by ExxonMobil (60%) under Risk Service Contracts signed at the end of 2020 with Sonangol E&P (40%) and the Agency […]

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Chevron starts production from Lifua-A project offshore Angola


Angola’s Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuel (ANPG) and Chevron’s local subsidiary CABGOC have announced the start of production from the Lifua-A project within Block 0. Chevron intends to develop the Lifua reserves via three different phases, Lifua-A, -B, and -C. Phase A relies on a stacked template structure (STS) platform with ten wells, including […]

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NNPC and Eroton E&P clash over operatorship of one of Nigeria’s most prolific oil and gas blocks


Nigeria’s NNPC announced on March 6th the appointment of NNPC Eighteen Operating Ltd as operator of Oil Mining Lease 18 (OML 18) onshore Nigeria by the block’s non-operating joint-venture partners. OML 18 is operated by Eroton Exploration and Production Co. (27%) while non-operating partners include NNPC (55%), OML 18 Energy Resource (Sahara Group, 16.2%) and […]

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Malawi: Serengeti Energy completes phase 1 of Nkhotakota solar PV plant


Serengeti Energy has energized the 21 MWac Nkhotakota solar PV plant in Malawi last month, the company said last week. The energization of the facility was achieved on February 19 and paves the way to its commissioning and start of commercial operations. The project constitutes Phase 1 of the Nkhotakota solar PV plant which will […]

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Government of Tanzania completes negotiations with Equinor and Shell on Tanzania LNG


The Government of Tanzania has completed negotiations with Shell and Equinor, Minister of Energy January Makamba said yesterday. The completion of the negotiations enables the writing and signing of key contracts towards the $30bn Tanzania LNG project, including the Host Government Agreement (HGA). The project is expected to monetise 16 Tcf of gas discovered by […]

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Could 2023 be a record high for offshore drilling in Africa?


Despite a very tight offshore rig supply market, 2023 might set a new 10-year high for Africa’s offshore drilling market as several development, infill, and exploration campaigns get executed this year. According to the Offshore Rigs Tracker released this week by Hawilti and the Caverton Offshore Support Group (COSG) Plc, over 30 rigs are already […]

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Namibia: NAMCOR and QatarEnergy confirm new light oil discovery on PEL 39


The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) has confirmed that the Jonker-1X well has discovered light oil within PEL 39 in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia. This is the third successful well in the license after the drilling of Graff-1 and La Rona-1 last year. PEL 39 comprises of Blocks 2913A and 2914B, operated by […]

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After Congo, Woodside Energy seeks to enter Namibian exploration license


Woodside Energy has entered into an exclusive Option Deed to enter into PEL 87 offshore Namibia, a deep-water block located north of recent discoveries made by TotalEnergies and Shell in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia. The License was awarded to Australian junior Pancontinental Energy in 2018. Since then, the company mapped a very large Saturn […]

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Angola: $7.8bn of contracts awarded for Agogo West Hub Project


Azule Energy has awarded several contracts worth some $7.8bn to international services companies for the development of its Agogo West Hub Integrated Project offshore Angola. The company is owned by bp and Eni. The project comprises 36 new wells producing via a 120,000 bopd FPSO vessel with a gas injection capacity of 230 MMscf/d and […]

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Senegal: Ndar Energies to build a 250 MW gas-to-power plant in Saint Louis


On Wednesday, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and Senegalese power company Ndar Energies S.A. signed a Framework Agreement for the development of a 250 MW combined cycle gas-to-power plant in Senegal. The agreement covers the financing, design, construction, and operation of the €430m facility that will be built in Saint Louis in northern Senegal, next […]

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Shell signs new contract for Block C2 offshore Mauritania


Shell has signed an Exploration & Production Contract (CEP) with the Ministry of Petroleum, Mines and Energy of Mauritania for offshore Block C2. The block is located just south of C10, another license already operated by Shell E&P Mauritania since 2018, and east of C8 where bp has discovered the BirAllah and Orca gas fields. […]

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