Author: intent

Why Africa’s Largest Untapped Oil Field Has Yet to Flow

TotalEnergies’ Venus project in Namibia’s Orange Basin is the kind of discovery that makes oil executives’ eyes light up and governments dream of windfalls. The discovery – made in February 2022 – was immediately recognized as one of the African continent’s largest in decades, with an estimated 1.5 billion barrels of light crude at 45 degrees API and 4.8 Tcf of natural gas. Expectations are high: peak output is projected at around 150,000 barrels a day and the field could remain productive for 30-40 years.

Financiers return to support African hydrocarbon plays

With global demand for oil and gas remaining more robust than previously expected, the outlook for African hydrocarbon project financing is better than it has been for perhaps a decade. In addition to traditional revenue-raising upstream plays, African governments are increasingly opting for a combined gas and renewables energy mix to spur development, write Marc Howard and James Gavin.

Kosmos Energy (KOS) Secures $250 Million Loan from Shell

Kosmos Energy (KOS) has obtained a $250 million senior secured loan from Shell Trading (US) Company. This financing arrangement, which is expected to be completed by October 1, 2025, is intended to address Kosmos’s outstanding unsecured notes. Initially, $150 million will be used to partially redeem 2026 notes, while the remaining $100 million can be accessed until April 1, 2026. The loan is backed by assets in the Gulf of Mexico, carries an interest rate of SOFR + 3.75%, and will mature over four years.