Gem Diamonds has unearthed a 145.55-carat rough diamond from its Letšeng mine in Lesotho, marking the ninth stone over 100 carats found this year. The high-quality, type II diamond was discovered on August 3, the company announced on Wednesday. This follows the recovery of a 123.20-carat and a 172.06-carat diamond in June, and a 212.49-carat stone in May. Additionally, in April, Gem Diamonds extracted two type IIa diamonds weighing 169.15 and 118.74 carats, and in
Libya has initiated a partial shutdown of production at its largest oil field, Sharara, according to three individuals with direct knowledge of the operations. As of Saturday night, output at the Sharara field decreased by 30,000 barrels per day to 230,000. The reduction followed orders to partially shut down production, said the sources, who requested anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to the media. The reason for the shutdown and the timeline for
On Thursday, August 1, the Assembly of the Republic, Mozambique’s parliament, unanimously approved the definitive revision of the Electricity Law. This legislation establishes the general organization and legal framework for electricity supply activities in the country. Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Carlos Zacarias, presented the justification for the proposed revision, explaining that it is based on Article 51, Section 4 of the law. This section deals with exceptional situations allowing the adoption of different
On Thursday, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi inaugurated a solar power station in the Bazaruto Archipelago, located in the Inhassoro district of Inhambane province. The solar power station, a result of a partnership between the state-owned electricity company EDM and the National Energy Fund (FUNAE), will enable over 400 new electricity connections in the surrounding communities of Pangaia and Sithone. President Nyusi emphasized the positive impact of the new power plant, stating that it will bring
London-listed Petra Diamonds has postponed its August/September tender to support measures taken by major producers to limit supply amid weaker demand. Rough diamond parcels from its South African operations, originally intended for sale in August/September as part of the first tender for the 2025 financial year, will now be included in the second tender, expected to close in mid-October. The schedule for tenders from the Williamson mine in Tanzania remains unchanged. Petra’s South African operations
Sales of rough diamonds at Debswana Diamond Company fell by 49.2% to $1.29 billion in the first half of the year, compared to $2.54 billion in the same period last year, according to Botswana’s central bank data. In local currency, sales dropped by 47.3% to 17.555 billion pula. This decline is a significant setback for Botswana, which relies on rough diamond sales for 30-40% of its revenue, 75% of its foreign exchange earnings, and one-third
TotalEnergies, the French oil major, announced on Monday its decision to withdraw from an offshore natural gas block off South Africa’s southern coast, citing commercial challenges in developing the discoveries. Earlier this month, the company indicated plans to exit Block 11B/12B, marking a significant setback for South Africa’s ambitions to achieve energy independence through its largest offshore gas discoveries to date. TotalEnergies entered Block 11B/12B in 2013 and made two gas discoveries, Brulpadda and Luiperd.
Mozambique’s natural gas exports reached $443 million (€408.8 million) in the first quarter of 2024, marking a nearly 30% increase compared to the same period in 2023. According to a report from the Bank of Mozambique obtained by Lusa, revenues from liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports in Q1 2024 stand in contrast to $340.9 million in Q1 2023. The report attributes the revenue increase to a higher volume of exports, coinciding with the commencement of
Oil prices fell nearly 2% on Monday after Israeli officials expressed a desire to avoid escalating tensions in the Middle East while responding to a deadly rocket attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights over the weekend. Brent crude for September delivery closed the first trading day of the week at $79.78 a barrel, down $1.35, or 1.7%. Meanwhile, U.S. oil finished at $75.81 a barrel, falling $1.35, or 1.8%. Two Israeli officials informed Reuters on
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) reported an increase in Nigeria’s daily crude oil production, rising from 1.25 million barrels per day (mbpd) in June to 1.61 mbpd by July 23rd. This update was provided by Gbenga Komolafe, the Chief Executive of NUPRC, during a public hearing by the House of Representatives Special Committee on oil theft and losses. Nigeria remains Africa’s largest producer of crude oil, with proven reserves of 37.50 billion barrels
