Browsing: LNG

In a country with a population of 32.2 million, its Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the South Africa Nation has been in decline since 2013 due to political uncertainty and falling commodity prices. However, the fact that inward investment has remained steady throughout the Covid-19 Crisis, coupled with the country’s abundance of liquefied natural gas (LNG), demonstrates potential for increased inflows going forward.

Mozambique Offshore Finds

Mozambique’s offshore natural gas discoveries in the Rovuma basin since 2009 have been nothing short of prolific. It has changed the fortunes of one of the world’s least-developed countries

They are now valued at approximately 50 times the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

While these gas fields are still under development, data from fDIMarkets– a branch of the Financial Times Group that collects and tracks FDI projects around the world – suggest that foreign companies moved in right after the first discovery in …

“The change of tone ushered in by President Samia Suluhu Hassan over the last month could indicate a welcome to a whole new economic direction in Tanzania’,” remarked Peter Leon, Partner and Africa Co-Chair, Herbert Smith Freehills

Investors have been wary of dipping their feet in Tanzania’s investment pool, more so investors in the extractive industries. In March 2017, a total ban on the export of unprocessed mineral concentrates and ores was instated.

Just four months later, in July 2017, after six days of deliberation, three new laws assented. The new laws gave significant power to the government, empowering it to control the extractives sector autonomously.

The three laws that were altered are:

• The Natural Wealth and Resources Contracts (Review and Renegotiation of Unconscionable Terms) Act, 2017 (Unconscionable Terms Act);
• The Natural Wealth and Resources (Permanent Sovereignty) Act, 2017 (Permanent Sovereignty Act); and
• The Written Laws(Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, 2017 which

African economies thrive on an abundance of natural resources. However, the financial resources needed to exploit these resources remain a major constraint in Africa. Foreign direct investments are playing a critical role in filling the capital gap in Africa as most governments run on budget deficits. 

Mozambique, a new investment hub, is booming with capital inflows in its energy sector. With its abundant natural gas resources, the country has positioned itself as a dominant energy investment hub in Southern Africa.

The Prospects

Massive natural gas reserves

Mozambique has a lot of proven natural gas reserves. It ranks 14th in the world in terms of its reserves. However, production for this energy resource is still very low as well as local consumption. This is a result of poor infrastructure development to extract the resource and also proving that the sector is still in its infancy stages. There is increasing interest …

A report by Africa Oil & Power (AOP) shows that the appeal of natural gas as a viable energy source has grown rapidly over the past decade. The primary drivers of this demand include reduced costs in comparison to traditional fossil fuels; mounting pressure from the global energy transition; and the growing demand for alternative power generation solutions across Africa. 

Accordingly, the emergence of both Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) markets has been driven by increased investment, in a bid to address energy security, diversification and electrification challenges. …

The oil and gas industry in Africa is yet another profitable sector that can transform the energy and revenue generation of gas-endowed nations and contribute greatly to their economic development. 

According to the global network firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), by the end of 2017, Africa had nearly 487.8 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven gas reserves, comprising 7.1 per cent of global proven reserves. …

Oil and gas projects are very complex due to a variety of challenges that need to be overcome. Risk management and financial burden are some of the hottest issues currently on these projects.

Now imagine you add Covid-19 and insurgent movements near the project area.

“The French oil and gas company Total is considering setting up a logistical base for its Mozambican operations, not only in part of Mozambique, but on the French Indian Ocean possession of Mayotte, according to a report (…)” as per the digital news portal Club of Mozambique.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise at all.

Being part of the French territory, Mayotte offers the best option for Total as a preferential hub for their project in Mozambique. France operates a military base in Mayotte, in the form of a detachment of its Foreign Legion, making the island a super safe place.

Mayotte is very well …

Mozambique’s natural gas production is operated by Sasol (South Africa) in Inhambane Province, which holds proven reserves of 2.6 trillion cubic feet (TCF).…

Mozambique is a country blessed with vast natural resources and abundant fertile lands – some of the key elements to ignite economic growth and social development that promises to change the good faith of the country.

Nevertheless, and despite the massive approved foreign investment related to natural gas rivalling its GDP, Mozambique will face strong challenges in order to secure a better future.

FurtherAfrica spoke to H.E. Adriano Maleiane, Mozambique’s Minister of Economy and Finance to better understand how the country intends to tackle these challenges using long-term strategies to ensure economic sustainability and a better future for its people.

Mr. Maleiane is no stranger to challenges, having served as Governor of Mozambique’s central bank for some 15 years and later overlooking the founding of the country’s national investment and development bank, an institution he served for nearly 5 years as chairman before he was appointed Minister of Economy and …

As the Mozambique LNG plant nears US$15B finance – making it the biggest private investment in Africa – two main points of view arise, diametrically opposed:

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• a more cautious short-term assessment identifies the current oversupply of natural gas worldwide, and a steep drop in price; in Asia, for instance, prices dipped so much that importers in China have released themselves from contracts claiming “force majeure”, a clause often invoked during natural disasters or war. Prices in Asia have fallen below US$3 per million British thermal units, whereas in mid-January it was comfortably above US$5/mmbtu.
• long-term growth prospects for the second half of this decade are phenomenally promising, with Royal Dutch Shell stating that demand has already been rising (by 12.5% only last year) and it forecasts that this demand will double by 2040, reaching 700 million tonnes. The fact that