Seplat Energy has unveiled plans to revive over 400 dormant oil wells across its assets as part of a strategic move to boost production and reinforce its position in Nigeria’s energy sector. The announcement was made by Chief Operating Officer Samson Ezugworie during the company’s post-Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos on Wednesday. Seplat currently operates eight of the 11 oil blocks in its portfolio—seven onshore and four offshore. Ezugworie described these assets as
Shell paid $5.34 billion to Nigeria in 2024—the highest amount it paid to any country that year—according to figures released Thursday as part of a UK legal disclosure. The payments, which include taxes and other extractive-related charges, marked an increase from 2023. This surge comes as Shell prepares to exit its onshore oil operations in Nigeria after decades of activity marked by environmental controversies and social unrest. Although the company will maintain its offshore operations,
Petrobras, Brazil’s state-controlled oil giant, is actively seeking a return to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, with a renewed focus on frontier deepwater exploration. This marks a strategic shift from its earlier divestment approach and signals Petrobras’ intent to expand its global footprint once again. The development was revealed by Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Shettima attributed Petrobras’ revived interest to the economic reforms being implemented under President
French energy giant TotalEnergies has announced plans to begin offshore drilling in South Africa in 2025, pending regulatory approval. The move represents a potential turning point in South Africa’s efforts to grow its oil and gas exploration sector. Mike Sangster, TotalEnergies’ Senior Vice President for Africa, disclosed the company’s intentions at an industry conference on Tuesday. He confirmed that TotalEnergies currently holds exploration rights over four offshore blocks in South African waters. If the drilling
Nigeria’s Dangote Oil Refinery has cancelled a planned maintenance shutdown for June on its 204,000 barrels-per-day gasoline-producing unit, having completed the necessary work during an earlier unplanned outage, according to industry data from IIR (Industrial Info Resources). The maintenance was originally scheduled to last 30 days in June and would have targeted the refinery’s Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit, which is critical for gasoline production. However, the refinery used the unexpected downtime between April
Koidu Limited, Sierra Leone’s largest diamond mining company, has suspended operations and laid off the majority of its local workforce—more than 1,000 employees—due to a protracted dispute over wages and working conditions. The conflict began with a strike in December 2024, which workers temporarily paused in hopes of reaching an agreement through negotiations. However, after talks stalled, employees resumed industrial action in early March, according to Reuters. Charles Kainessie, president of the Koidu Limited Workers’
De Beers has quietly begun selling rough diamonds at steep discounts to a select group of buyers — a rare and contentious move that is stirring tensions within an industry already grappling with sluggish demand and mounting uncertainty. In a departure from its traditional pricing model, the diamond giant has been offering discounts of 10% to 20% through confidential side deals, aimed at offloading growing inventories without making public price cuts. These covert sales, reported
The Director General of Luele Mining Company (SML), Rômulo Mucasse, announced in Saurimo that stable performance indicators in diamond extraction, processing, and recovery could enable the company to produce 6.7 million carats during the current fiscal year. He recalled that the Luele project, inaugurated by the President of the Republic roughly a year and a half ago, has become one of the key assets in Angola’s diamond sector. Alongside Catoca Mining Company, Luele now contributes
Alrosa has discovered a 468.30-carat fancy amber-colored diamond, the largest gem-quality rough stone ever found in Russia, surpassing the miner’s previous record of 401 carats set in 2013. The historic stone was recovered from one of Alrosa’s mines in the Yakutia region, the company announced last week. CEO Pavel Marinychev highlighted the timing of the discovery, which follows the unveiling of the “New Sun,” a fancy vivid yellow diamond over 100 carats—the largest ever manufactured
De Beers has held its first diamond auction in Botswana following the relocation of its sales operations from Singapore, marking a significant step in consolidating its global trading activities in Gaborone and boosting operational efficiency. The company announced the move on Friday, stating that the transfer reinforces Botswana’s status as a key player in the global diamond value chain. A small-scale pilot auction during De Beers’ third sales cycle attracted “substantial interest,” with strong customer
