Brent crude oil futures dropped 82 cents, or about 1%, to $81.37 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures fell 74 cents, also about 1%, to $76.1 per barrel at 10:22 GMT. Last week, the key drivers behind the recovery were persistent threats to shipping in the Red Sea, Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, and maintenance at American refineries, said Tamas Varga of PVM oil brokerage. According to him, “this led to
The Algerian oil and gas company, Sonatrach, has recently signed a medium-term contract with the gas supplier VNG Handel & Vertrieb GmbH (VNG) for the supply of pipeline natural gas to Germany. The agreement was finalized during a recent visit by a German delegation to Algiers. Rachid Hachichi, CEO of Sonatrach, expressed satisfaction with the strengthening of energy business partnerships with Europe through this significant agreement with VNG. He stated, “We are happy to strengthen
The Port Harcourt refinery in Nigeria has recently received a shipment of 475,000 barrels of crude oil from the energy supermajor, Shell. The shipment was facilitated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company, the largest fossil fuel company in Nigeria, utilizing its Port of Bonny Offshore Terminal. The crude oil was delivered to the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited. In a statement, Shell expressed that, “This milestone will support the government’s aspiration of a steady supply
Benedito Manuel, the general director of CATOCA, emphasized the need for mining companies to go beyond mere social responsibility and prioritize social justice and equity in the distribution of resources, particularly in diamond-rich areas. Speaking at the panel discussion on “the social responsibility of diamond companies in mining regions” during the Mining Indaba, Manuel stressed the importance of processing the exploited resources locally to create a value chain that fosters job creation and contributes to
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is seeking ‘modern investors’ to tap into the country’s mining sector, which boasts over $460 trillion worth of untapped mineral deposits. Miguel Kashal Katemb, Director General of the DRC’s Regulatory Authority for Subcontracting in the Private Sector (ARSP), said the country wants to collaborate with responsible investors, particularly those focused on equity funds and exchange-traded funds, to drive infrastructure development within the mining sector. “We have many big investors
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s visit to Luanda in January 2024 cemented Washington D.C.’s commitment towards energy development and economic prosperity in Angola. In a meeting with Angola’s President João Lourenço and Foreign Minister Tete António, Blinken discussed bilateral relations and partnerships in the areas of infrastructure, energy, economic engagement and trade. The U.S. signed a seven-side MoU in October 2023 with the African Development Bank, the Africa Finance Corporation, the EU and the
Angola’s diamond industry is emerging as an increasingly attractive investment opportunity, driven by legislative reforms, the discovery of high-quality deposits, and a forward-thinking approach by the government. With the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil, and Gas actively engaging with regional and global partners, Angola aims to enhance diamond production and position itself as a hub for this precious gem. Sectoral Reforms Encourage Foreign Investment As the fourth-largest diamond producer in Africa and the sixth globally,
Angola is gearing up for a significant boost in drilling activity in 2024, with plans to spud 43 wells, reflecting a 16% increase compared to the previous year. The country has set ambitious targets for a near-term production surge to reach 1.2 million barrels per day, and this will be facilitated by the expansion of the well pipeline, contributing to an overall increase in output. The planned drilling activities for 2024 mark a noteworthy advancement,
The French supermajor, TotalEnergies, has initiated production at the Akpo West Field offshore Nigeria. The field has been seamlessly integrated with the pre-existing Akpo Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, which exhibited a production rate of approximately 124,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2023. This achievement marks a significant milestone, enhancing the production capacity at the Akpo Field by an additional 14,000 bpd. Furthermore, it is expected to contribute up to four million cubic
The Association of Companies Providing Services in the Angolan Oil Industry (AECIPA) is holding a workshop today at the Higher Polytechnic Institute of Technologies and Sciences (ISPTEC) in Luanda. The workshop aims to analyze the changes in the New General Labour Law (NLGT) in the petroleum sector. According to the statement, the event, titled “New General Labour Law, What Has Changed,” will address some of the key issues of major relevance in the amendments to
