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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.

STR appoints director to lead expansion across Europe, Africa

STR operates globally with technology and service facilities in Aberdeen, Great Yarmouth, Houston, Perth, Singapore and invested £5m in a new Norway facility earlier this year which Christie will oversee. The company has doubled headcount in the last three years and now has 120 people with further growth to be delivered through strategic acquisitions, market expansion and a diversified technology and solutions offering, with plans to have a dedicated Middle East facility next year.

Petrobras Sets Sights on Africa for Expansion

Earlier this year, a senior company executive told Reuters Petrobras was looking to buy interest in African oil fields to boost its reserves and was in talks with potential sellers, including Exxon, Shell, and TotalEnergies. Petrobras’s proven oil and gas reserves increased by 500 million barrels last year, from 10.9 billion barrels to 11.4 billion barrels.

South Africa Launches Oil Giant to Revive Energy Sector

South Africa has officially launched the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC), a new state-owned oil enterprise designed to consolidate and energize the country’s long-stalled hydrocarbons sector. Formed from the merger of PetroSA, iGas, and the Strategic Fuel Fund, SANPC will operate under the Central Energy Fund and is already integrating staff and assets to streamline operations. The aim? Reducing oil imports, bolstering energy security, and tapping into over R95 billion in potential investment.

Africa’s Oil and Gas Investment to Hit $43 Billion in 2025

Despite the growing emphasis on natural gas with international majors exploring and putting online gas projects and LNG export facilities around Africa, projections indicate that liquid hydrocarbons will still hold the lion’s share of capex, attracting 60% of the total investment through 2030. But natural gas is gradually gaining ground and its share of annual expenditure is set to increase from around 30% in 2023 to more than 40% by the end of the decade, the African Energy Chamber’s report says.