Lucapa Diamond Company reported a sharp 71% year-on-year decline in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024, as the lower proportion of large diamonds significantly impacted the average price per carat. Sales from the company’s Lulo mine in Angola dropped to $10 million for the quarter, with the average price per carat plunging by 80% to $1,251. However, the company saw a 42% increase in sales volume, reaching 8,016 carats. The steep drop in average
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has condemned Petra Diamonds for its decision to lay off over 200 workers as part of a cost-cutting strategy. This decision comes in the wake of an extended downturn in the diamond industry, which has forced several companies, including Petra, to make difficult decisions regarding staffing, production, and pricing forecasts. The layoffs specifically target employees at Petra’s Cullinan and Finsch mines in South Africa. Petra initially announced the layoffs
Kosmos Energy has confirmed the commencement of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production at the bp-operated Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG project, located offshore Mauritania and Senegal. On December 31, 2024, gas from GTA Phase 1 began flowing from the wells to the floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel as part of the commissioning process. At the FPSO, the gas is processed to remove condensate, water, and impurities before being transferred to the floating LNG
Namibian oil and gas exploration firm Custos Energy has finalized a farm-in agreement with Chevron Namibia Exploration II, a subsidiary of Chevron, for Petroleum Exploration License 82 (PEL 82). Under the deal, Chevron acquires an 80% participating interest and assumes operatorship of the offshore block. Custos Energy and Namibia’s state-owned NAMCOR each retain a 10% stake. Custos views PEL 82, covering blocks 2112B and 2212A in the Walvis Basin, as one of Namibia’s most promising
Italian energy company Eni has announced the discovery of the Zohr gas field, a “supergiant” natural gas deposit in the Mediterranean Sea, off Egypt’s coast. The field is expected to meet the country’s gas demand for decades. Located in the Shorouk block, Zohr is estimated to hold 30 trillion cubic feet (5.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent) of lean gas, making it the largest gas discovery ever in Egypt and the Mediterranean and potentially one
TotalEnergies has resumed hydrocarbon exploration on Block 2913B in Namibia’s Orange Basin, drilling the Tamboti-1X exploration well just north of the Venus accumulation. The company estimates the prospect holds approximately 1 billion barrels of oil. The Deepsea Mira rig, under a multi-country contract with TotalEnergies since December 2022, began drilling Tamboti-1X in October 2024. TotalEnergies operates Block 2913B in Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) 56 with a 50.5% stake in the 8,215 km² offshore area. Its
Dangote Refinery has successfully shipped two jet fuel cargoes to Saudi Aramco, marking a significant milestone in its growing global footprint. During a facility tour with directors of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, highlighted the refinery’s rapid progress. “We are already achieving our ambitious targets,” Dangote stated. “We are pleased to announce the successful sale of two jet fuel cargoes to Saudi Aramco.” An industry analyst noted that
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne announced on Wednesday that U.S. financing for the company’s $20 billion Mozambique LNG project is expected to be approved in the coming weeks, with additional credit agencies following in the months ahead. The company is awaiting loan re-approvals from U.S., UK, and Dutch export credit agencies before lifting the force majeure that has stalled the project since 2021. Speaking after the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report, Pouyanne stated that a previous loan
London-listed African Pioneer has raised £420,000 from existing and new shareholders to advance its Ongombo copper-gold project in Namibia and support activities in Zambia and Botswana. The funds will be used to analyze gold distribution and its association with copper and magnetite quartzite, assess orebody-wide gold distribution, and plan drillholes in underexplored areas. Additionally, external mining and resource consultants will refine resource estimates for open-pit mineralization and provide recommendations for infill drilling to enhance the
Anglo American is focused on maximizing its value as it prepares for a possible new acquisition bid and expects substantial progress on the long-awaited spin-off of its De Beers diamond business, CEO Duncan Wanblad said on Monday. The company rejected a $49 billion hostile takeover attempt from BHP in May 2024, which targeted its copper assets. Since then, Anglo—one of the best-performing major miners last year—has streamlined its portfolio by divesting coal assets and announcing
