The governments of Uganda and Tanzania have rejected claims made by civil society organizations (CSOs) opposing the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). The two nations have jointly appealed to the Appellate Division of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) to dismiss a case filed by four CSOs from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, which seeks to halt the project. On February 24, 2025, Uganda’s Deputy Solicitor General, Mr. Charles Ouma, and
Rio Tinto has successfully completed its first renewable diesel trial across its Pilbara iron ore operations, marking a significant milestone in its efforts to reduce emissions and integrate alternative fuels into its supply chain. The trial, conducted in partnership with renewable diesel producer Neste and Australian fuel supplier Viva Energy, provided Rio Tinto with critical insights into the scalability of biofuels across its operations. The four-week trial (January–February 2024) resulted in a 27,000-tonne reduction in
Alberta, Canada’s top oil-producing province, has forecast a C$5.2 billion ($3.5 billion) budget deficit for the 2025/26 fiscal year, citing potential U.S. tariffs as a major threat to government revenues and economic growth. This marks a sharp reversal from Alberta’s current fiscal surplus of C$5.8 billion, highlighting the uncertainty facing policymakers as they navigate the evolving trade landscape. Finance Minister Nate Horner acknowledged the difficulty in planning a budget amid unpredictable U.S. policies. “How do
Russia’s state-owned diamond producer, Alrosa, reported a 77.3% decline in net profit for 2024, falling to 19.3 billion roubles ($219.32 million) compared to the previous year. Revenue also dropped by 25.9%, reaching 239.1 billion roubles. The decline follows a Group of Seven (G7) ban on direct Russian diamond imports in January 2024, which was later expanded to include diamonds routed through third countries. Alrosa has also been under U.S. sanctions since 2022, further restricting its
Custos Energy is pleased to provide an update on its second exploration and appraisal campaign for blocks 2813A and 2814B in Namibia’s rapidly growing Orange Basin oil and gas region. These blocks are part of Petroleum Exploration License 83 (PEL 83), operated by a subsidiary of Galp Energia, with Custos and Namibia’s National Petroleum Corporation (NAMCOR) each holding a 10% working interest. The PEL 83 Joint Venture partners have successfully drilled, cored, and logged the
A $7.9 billion green hydrogen project has been launched in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, with backing from China. The ambitious initiative will take place within the Liberty Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) at Atabrikang, in the Ibeno Local Government Area. The agreement was formalized in Uyo, Nigeria, with representatives from the Nigerian Federal Government, APPL Hydrogen Limited (AHL), and China’s LONGi Green Energy Technology signing the deal. Idara Ekpo, Chief Visionary Officer of AHL, revealed that
Rough diamonds above 5 carats were in tight supply during this week’s trading session, with industry sources attributing the shortage to both production cuts and De Beers’ strategy of limiting supply. During the February sight, prices remained stable across most categories as De Beers adhered to its policy of not overflooding the market, according to insiders. However, the scarcity of large stones raised eyebrows, especially considering De Beers reportedly holds $2 billion in inventories, its
After extensive negotiations, De Beers and the government of Botswana have signed a historic agreement extending their diamond partnership for another decade. The new sales agreement for rough diamonds from Debswana, the joint venture between the government and De Beers, will remain in effect for the next 10 years, De Beers announced on Tuesday. Under the terms of the deal, 30% of Debswana’s production will go to the state-owned Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) for the
The Anhui Congo Investment Company (SACIM) in Kasai-Oriental continues to face significant challenges, raising concerns across the region. On February 26, 2025, a SACIM manager revealed to Actualité.cd that the company, which typically produces an average of 300,000 carats of diamonds per month, is encountering difficulties in selling its diamonds due to newly imposed price restrictions. Under the terms of Ministerial Decree No. 00049/CAB.MIN/MINES/01/2022, dated February 22, 2022, SACIM is restricted to selling its diamonds
The president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, Yoram Dvash, announced that starting in April, U.S. customs will require the reporting of diamonds’ country of mining origin and details of the country of origin. This mandatory information must be submitted through a signed declaration. Importers will also need to provide a self-certification statement confirming that their shipments do not contain Russian diamonds larger than 0.50 ct. These new requirements apply to all diamonds and
