Infrastructure

DP World and Somaliland Government open new Berbera Economic Zone

The first phase of the BEZ was officially opened in March 2023 by His Excellency Muse Bihi Abdi, President of Somaliland, and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World. Picture: DP World

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Dubai’s DP World and the Government of Somaliland have inaugurated this week the first phase of the new Berbera Economic Zone (BEZ) located next to Port of Berbera where a container terminal opened in June 2021.

The BEZ is located along the Berbera Corridor that connects Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa and has access to a rapidly growing region with a population of over 140 million people. Its initial phase notably offers 10,000 square metres of pre-built warehouses, build-to-suit facilities, open yard storage, and a common user warehouse.

“DP World has already signed an agreement with IFFCO, a major UAE-based food company, to develop a 300,000 square feet edible oil packing plant in the BEZ and a dozen more companies operating across various sectors have already registered,” DP World said in a statement.

The event was also attended by British International Investment (BII), which partnered with DP World in 2021 to invest $1bn into the African ports of Dakar (Senegal), Sokhna (Egypt) and Berbera (Somaliland).

The United Arab Emirates has become a significant investor into Somaliland’s infrastructure. At the end of 2021, Dubai-based Transport Infrastructure Services Limited (TISL) notably completed the renovation of the Berbera International Airport.

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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 Shell along with partners Qatar Energy and NAMCOR. Shell resumed drilling with the Deepsea Bollsta in December 2022 and has the rig mobilized in Namibia until at least November 2023, Hawilti’s Offshore Rigs Tracker shows. “The Jonker-1X well was drilled to a total depth of 6,168 meters in a water depth of 2,210 meters. The acquired data is being evaluated while further appraisal is planned to determine the size and recoverable potential of the discovery,” QatarEnergy said. Shell is yet to make any official announcement on Jonker-1 or to confirm the estimated reserves it has discovered since 2022. Early industry estimates have assumed that Graff alone could hold 700 million barrels of recoverable oil and could be developed via a new FPSO and a possible FLNG solution.

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 Turbidite Complex that may host several large internal hydrocarbon traps, some of which it has already mapped on 2D seismic. The deal reached with Woodside Energy provides for Woodside Energy to fund a $35m 3D seismic campaign over 5,000 km2 in addition to a cash payment of $1.5m to Pancontinental. In return, Woodside Energy has an exclusive option to become operator of PEL 87 with a 56% interest. Shall the company decide to exercise its farm-in option, it will drill the first exploration well and carry Pancontinental at 20% interest. Exploration activity is growing offshore Namibia where both Shell and TotalEnergies have rigs mobilized there for exploratory and appraisal drilling this year. Last October, Chevron entered PEL 90 just adjacent to PEL 87 and north of TotalEnergies’ Venus-1 discovery. The deal gives Woodside Energy the opportunity to grow its exploration portfolio in Africa after it entered Congo-Brazzaville in 2018. The operator is also in the process of commissioning the Sangomar Offshore Oil Project in Senegal with a projected peak production of 100,000 bopd.