Mozambique, South Africa see pandemic delays
COVID-19 has delayed South Africa’s plans for a new upstream bill and exploration drilling in Mozambique.
South Africa
Sasol pledges to safeguard seas from plastics
Sasol has signed up to Operation Clean Sweep (OCS), intended to prevent plastic waste from entering the sea.
Eskom calls for more emergency power
Eskom and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) have come out in support of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa) plans to secure new power generation.
Africa Oil, the exception
Few companies are paying down debt while staying bullish on exploration plans, but Africa Oil is an exception.
Eskom struggles as Medupi belt breaks
A conveyor belt has broken at the Medupi power plant, in South Africa, leading Eskom to warn that any further breakdowns would spark Stage 2 load shedding at short notice.
Shell farms into Kosmos portfolio
Shell has struck a deal to farm into Kosmos Energy’s portfolio offshore Sao Tome & Principe, Suriname, Namibia and South Africa.
Africa on the rise
The energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa faces numerous challenges, but there is also an increasing sense of urgency and opportunity for the development of the industry on the continent.
EV Out Loud: Decom cash, a rig dash and a South African splash
Should the government stump up some of the cash it was going to pay out for decommissioning ahead of time, in order to get the ball rolling? Decom North Sea thinks so, although other opinions are available. At a time when the national debt is hitting record levels, and a number of sectors are calling for help, the government may not want to help out the oil and gas industry.
Eskom doubles up on load shedding amid unit failures
Eskom has announced Stage 4 load shedding as the power system struggles to keep up with cold weather-driven demand.
Deepsea Stavanger arrives in Cape Town
South African Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has welcomed Odjfell Drilling’s Deepsea Stavanger to Cape Towin.
Sasol flags $6.4bn impairment
Sasol has warned that adjusted EBITDA is expected to decline by between 17% and 37% for the financial year.
Eskom moves to claw back cash from Guptas
Eskom has launched an attempt to recover cash lost to alleged corruption, which took place in 2015-16.
Power in a time of pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on the world, with lives lost and economies shrinking.
Rig sets sail for South Africa’s Luiperd drilling
The Odjfell Deepsea Stavanger is on its way to South Africa, to drill more wells for Total.
Investing in South Africa’s sunshine
UK investors are faced with a fundamental problem around solar, in that the sun does not shine that much.
Total signs on for Renergen distribution
Renergen has signed a deal on the distribution of its LNG through Total South Africa Proprietary’s service stations.
South Africa plans state petroleum merger
South Africa will merge the three subsidiaries of the Central Energy Fund (CEF) into one National Petroleum Company.
Lockdown easing sparks South African fuel shortages
South Africa has “inadequate” stocks of diesel, an industry body has warned, as demand has accelerated beyond expectations with the easing of lockdown limitations.
Sasol denies fuel station sale plan
Sasol has denied that it plans to sell off its downstream fuel retail business, saying that it was instead committed to expanding this work in South Africa.
South Africa fund looks to buy Sasol assets to end losses
South Africa’s state-owned Central Energy Fund is considering buying assets that have been put on the block by fuel and chemical maker Sasol as it seeks to restore itself to profitability.
Eskom faces Kendal shutdown over emissions
Eskom has been instructed to halt work at a number of units at its Kendal power plant by the South African Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF).
QP enters Cote d’Ivoire with Total deal
Qatar Petroleum (QP) has signed farm-in agreements with Total on two blocks offshore Cote d’Ivoire.
Africa Oil sees Nigerian profits roll in
Africa Oil paid down $45.2 million of its debt during the first quarter, after receiving $87.5mn from its stake in three major Nigerian oilfields.
IDEAS ups SA renewable holdings
A fund owned by African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) has sold stakes in two South African renewables projects to another AIIM fund.
Room to run for Renergen
Renergen’s Virginia project in South Africa has some of the hallmarks of a classic small-scale gas production plan, but with the added wrinkle of a shift to helium.