The news that Africa’s richest man is to finance the construction of a new refinery in Nigeria comes as Africa’s energy decision makers grapple with the conundrum: to refine, or not to refine. Read the rest of this entry »
Posts Tagged ‘Africa’
Africa’s energy kingmakers ponder this question: to refine its oil, or not to refine?
By Tim Worledge | April 30, 2013 06:40 PM Comments (2)
Kenya, with good oil prospects, faces tightly contested election as vote counting continues
By Jacinta Moran | March 6, 2013 03:37 PM Comments (2)
The elections in Kenya this week brought millions of voters despite pockets of violence that killed at least 15 people and rumblings of problems with electronic systems being used in the polls for the first time.
Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of the nation’s founding father, took an early lead Wednesday and nearly half of the votes over his main rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
What happens in Mali does not stay in Mali
By Kate Dourian | January 31, 2013 05:00 PM Comments (0)
I receive more than a fair share of e-mails every week from scam artists, most of them purporting to be from some African state, offering me millions of dollars in return for my bank details. (Memo to techies: spam filters not working).
The last such communication came as a bit of a surprise. It was from Mali, a country that is a blind spot for much of the world focused on turmoil in more recognizable countries like Egypt and Syria. Until recently that is, when this West African state leapt into the headlines.
More mergers, acquisitions coming to East Africa in 2013
By Jacinta Moran | December 20, 2012 10:19 AM Comments (0)
It was an incredible year for East Africa where significant gas discoveries catapulted the region into a major energy player, bringing billions of dollars in investment that could transform entire economies.
New Frontiers: the buzz about oil in Morocco
By News Desk | December 10, 2012 05:23 AM Comments (0)
The list of African countries that have discovered big new reserves in recent years is impressive, led by the giant natural gas finds of Mozambique. Another country that thinks it can at least become a more significant producer, if not necessarily a behemoth, is Morocco. In this week’s Oilgram News column “New Frontiers,” Tamsin Carlisle talks about the recent buzz about Morocco at a key industry gathering.
Non-passage of oil bill threatens Nigeria’s oil sector
By Jacinta Moran | July 24, 2012 12:00 PM Comments (0)
Nigeria’s long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill is set to finally see the light as it moves its way through to Parliament, but its delay has taken a toll on the nation’s economy.
The oil industry’s lure of the deep (waters)
By Starr Spencer | July 20, 2012 05:33 PM Comments (0)
If you thought 2008 was a heyday for deepwater drilling, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
At least that’s the message suggested by the first two drillers, Noble Corporation and Diamond Offshore, that reported second-quarter earnings this week. While earnings were healthy, it was the commentary by the drillers’ managers that made Wall Street sit up and take notice.
Both companies say they expect the global ultra-deepwater segment to carry the ball for them going forward. And that “forward” looks pretty darn good.
London to Lagos to Abuja: scared flyers and the impact on jet fuel
By Simon Thorne | July 10, 2012 09:53 AM Comments (0)
So concerned are they over the safety of local Nigerian airlines, some of the wealthier businessmen in the region are taking the unusual step of flying the 300 miles from Lagos to the capital of Abuja via the UK’s capital city, London.
That’s nearly 6,000 flight miles and 12 hours on board a plane, not to mention time spent in London’s airports, to avoid a 300-mile one hour domestic flight.
Oil Matters: searching for hydrocarbons in Morocco
By News Desk | May 1, 2012 05:04 PM Comments (0)
The latest joint Platts/Oil Council podcast focuses on the efforts by a small UK upstream exploration company, Longreach Oil & Gas, to explore a country largely closed off to outside investment until a few years ago: Morocco. The company’s COO and director Andrew Benitz is interviewed by Platts’ John Kingston. You can listen to it here.
Sudan, South Sudan edge closer to full-blown conflict over oil
By Jacinta Moran | April 20, 2012 04:31 AM Comments (0)
A bloody battle over a disputed oil field heads for full-blown conflict between Sudan and South Sudan, just nine months after the former civil foes split.