Uganda plans to issue new oil and gas exploration licenses in the 2025/2026 fiscal year (July-June) to attract further investment into the sector. The country’s last licensing round, which began in 2019, concluded in early 2023, with two out of five available blocks awarded. “Accelerating oil and gas investments will be key to driving Uganda’s economic growth next fiscal year,” said Finance Minister Matia Kasaija during a speech outlining the government’s priorities for 2025/2026. He
The National Oil, Gas, and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) and Sonangol Exploration and Production are set to invest in a specialized service to identify oil and other hydrocarbons in the onshore blocks of the Kwanza Basin. In a press release, ANPG announced that the project is scheduled to commence in September this year. The aim is to enhance geophysical and geological understanding of the Kwanza Basin blocks. The initial phase of the project will involve data
The Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) has announced an international bidding round for natural gas exploration across 12 blocks in the Mediterranean and Nile Delta regions, according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. The bidding round includes 10 offshore blocks and 2 onshore blocks. Interested parties must submit their bids by February 25th, 2025, as noted by the Egypt Upstream Gateway (EUG). This follows earlier reports that Egypt plans to launch a
In 2024, Angola plans to drill up to 43 wells across onshore and offshore blocks, targeting accelerated exploration. Concurrently, the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency (ANPG) will review abandoned wells and installations, representing 45% of the country’s total well count, to assess opportunities for reactivating closed oil wells. These efforts present new opportunities for technology-driven drilling, with Norwegian firms poised to play a significant role in supporting Angola’s production growth. Norwegian energy company Equinor,
Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, has signed two significant agreements worth $342 million with international companies for natural gas exploration and production. The first agreement, valued at $222 million, involves the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), Shell Egypt, and Malaysia’s Petronas. This collaboration aims to boost natural gas production in the West Delta area. According to a cabinet statement, the project includes drilling three new natural gas wells, with a production
The Mozambican Government has approved a concession contract allowing Eni Mozambico and Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) to explore and produce petroleum in the Angoche A6-C Offshore Area. This decision, announced by the Council of Ministers, grants exclusive rights to conduct petroleum operations and produce oil from deposits within the concession area, located offshore of Nampula and Zambézia provinces. The concession also includes non-exclusive rights to build and operate necessary infrastructure for production and transportation
Shell is pursuing government authorization for a new drilling project off the western shores of South Africa. According to a draft scoping report from environmental consultancy SLR, Shell plans to drill up to five wells in the region. The company aims to carry out exploration and appraisal activities as oil companies shift their focus south of Namibia, where recent discoveries in the Orange Basin promise further potential finds. The Orange Basin, extending into South African
The National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) will soon commence oil exploration prospecting in the municipalities of Rivungo, Calai, and Cuangar in the province of Cuando Cubango. Following a meeting held by the provincial governor of Cuando Cubango, José Martins, ANPG’s director of the Institutional Security Office, Manuel Domingos Dembe, announced that the first phase involves demining work in four areas identified for oil prospecting. Manuel Domingos Dembe stated that ANPG is operating in
TotalEnergies SE is reportedly planning to withdraw from its gas-condensate discoveries off the coast of South Africa to redirect its exploration efforts closer to Namibia, according to sources familiar with the matter. The French energy giant ventured into South Africa’s challenging offshore conditions, investing approximately $400 million to uncover an estimated 1 billion barrels equivalent of light liquid hydrocarbons at the Brulpadda field in 2019, as reported by Bloomberg. Subsequently, TotalEnergies achieved another successful find
Chevron Corporation (CVX) has chosen the Deepsea Bollsta semi-submersible rig for an upcoming exploration well in Namibia’s Orange Basin, as announced by Northern Ocean Ltd., a provider of offshore drilling services. Scheduled to commence in the fourth quarter of 2024, this operation will target Block 2813B under Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) 90, situated north of TotalEnergies SE’s Venus discovery. The Orange Basin, known for its potential, has attracted major interest due to recent discoveries like
