Luele Mining Sets Ambitious Diamond Production Goal, Boosts Sustainability and Social Development Luele Mining Company plans to produce more than nine million carats of diamonds in 2026, the company’s CEO, Romulo Mucase, announced while reviewing the firm’s first two years of operation. “We are preparing the mine to ensure a steady supply of ore and optimal operation of our processing plant, which now has two mills. We aim to extract over 12 million cubic meters
OPEC+ Maintains Oil Production Levels Through Q1 2026 Despite Global Political Turmoil OPEC+ agreed to maintain current oil production levels on Sunday after a brief meeting of key producing nations, reaffirming its decision to keep output unchanged through the first quarter of 2026. The alliance’s members deliberately avoided substantive discussion of ongoing political crises affecting some member states. The virtual meeting involved eight major OPEC+ producers — Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
Lucara Estimates 4.5 Million Carats from Karowe Underground Mine in Botswana Canadian miner Lucara Diamond Corporation has confirmed that the underground expansion of its Karowe diamond mine in Botswana could recover approximately 4.5 million carats over a projected mine life of ten years, according to an updated technical report. The company undertook the update to its underground feasibility study to reinforce its strategic decision to extend the life of the Karowe operation and continue delivering
Eni Discovers Up to 30 Tcf of Gas at Zohr, Egypt’s Largest-Ever Gas Field Eni has discovered natural gas reserves estimated at up to 30 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in Egypt’s Zohr field, marking the largest gas discovery ever recorded in the country and a turning point for its energy sector. Hamdy Abdel-Aziz, spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum, said the find increases Egypt’s total natural gas reserves by roughly one-third. Egypt’s proven gas reserves
Chevron Brings South N’dola Oil and Gas Field Online in Angola’s Block 0 Chevron has started oil and gas production from the South N’dola field in Angola’s offshore Block 0, marking another step in the company’s strategy to boost output from its mature offshore assets. The development includes a new production platform that is tied back to the Mafumeira processing facility. Production from South N’dola is processed at Mafumeira before being transported to an export
IMF Cautions Botswana on Expanding De Beers Stake as Diamond Demand Slumps The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advised the Botswana government against increasing its ownership stake in De Beers, warning that the move could exacerbate the country’s fiscal pressures amid ongoing economic challenges and heavy reliance on the diamond sector. In a review of Botswana’s fiscal position published on December 8, the IMF highlighted heightened uncertainty stemming from the prolonged downturn in the global
Alrosa Confirms Profitability in 2025 Despite Sanctions, Diamond Market Slump Russian diamond miner Alrosa has confirmed that it remained profitable in 2025, despite ongoing international sanctions and a prolonged downturn in the global diamond market. “2025 was a challenging year for the company,” said Aisen Nikolaev, head of Russia’s Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, during a meeting on Tuesday with Alrosa CEO Pavel Marinychev. “Nevertheless, Alrosa fully achieved its key production targets and continued to implement a
Heirs Energy Closes $750 Million Afreximbank Financing to Drive Expansion and Production Growth Heirs Energies Ltd has secured a $750 million financing facility from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), strengthening the company’s financial position and supporting its long-term expansion strategy in the energy sector. The agreement was signed in Abuja by Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, and George Elombi, President and Chairman of the Board of Afreximbank. Beyond operational efficiency, the financing is intended
ReconAfrica Plans Production Testing on Kavango Basin Onshore Licence in Q1 2026 Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica) plans to begin production testing in the first quarter of 2026 on Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 73, an onshore asset located in Namibia’s Kavango Basin. The company said it has entered an evaluation phase that has been in preparation for several weeks, following the identification of hydrocarbon indicators at the Kavango West-1X well on the licence. ReconAfrica has not
TotalEnergies Takes Over Operatorship of Mopane Oil Discovery in Namibia, Targets Drilling From 2026 TotalEnergies has signed an agreement with Galp to assume operatorship of Namibia’s offshore Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) 83, which contains the Mopane oil discovery. Under the terms of the agreement, the partners will implement a defined exploration and appraisal program over the next two years, including the drilling of three wells. The first well is planned for 2026, as the partners
