Engineering News | Energy | Oil & Gas

https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Follow @EngNewsZA

Advertise on this page? Click Here to Learn More

Oil & Gas News

Virginia project’s appraisal programme to spud ahead of schedule – Renergen

By: Simone Liedtke 21st January 2020 Emerging domestic natural gas and helium producer Renergen expects the appraisal programme for its Virginia gas project, in the Free State, to spud ahead of schedule during the first week of February. The dual-listed company also advised that the first planned incline in Phase 1’s development had... →

Total plans world’s deepest offshore well to stem Angola decline

By: , Bloomberg 16th January 2020 Total will drill the world’s deepest offshore well in Angola, in waters more than two miles deep, as the African country works to reverse years of declining output. The well in Block 48 will be 228 m deeper than Total’s Raya-1 well in Uruguay, completed in 2016, according to contractor Maersk... →

Oilfields at heart of tax dispute to cost Uganda $5bn

By: , Bloomberg 16th January 2020 Uganda expects the planned development of two oil fields to cost at least $5-billion, as the government seeks to resolve a tax dispute with the companies that own the sites and pave the way for increased infrastructure spending. That amount is part of the $15-billion to $20-billion that the East... →

Brazil's Petrobras closes $1.5bn deal to sell stake in African JV

By: Reuters 15th January 2020 Brazil's State-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) said on Tuesday it had ended its activities in Africa after closing the sale of a 50% stake in Petrobras Oil & Gas BV (PO&GBV), which holds some Nigerian oil assets. Petrobras, as the company is known locally, said in a filing... →

Lekoil slumps as alleged scam puts oilfield future at risk

By: , Bloomberg 14th January 2020 Lekoil sank to a record low in London trading after falling victim to an alleged scam, leaving the future of a Nigerian oil project at risk. A loan deal struck earlier this month is no longer valid, the company said, alleging that individuals claiming to be from the Qatar Investment Authority... →

South Sudan plans environmental audit of oil fields in move to curb pollution

By: Reuters 10th January 2020 South Sudan is launching a tender for a comprehensive environmental audit of all its oil-producing fields in a bid to reduce pollution following years of neglect, the government said on Friday. Oil sales bring in almost all the revenue of the East African nation, which has boosted output to stand... →

Congo wants to sell Gertler’s oil blocks on Ugandan border

By: , Bloomberg 9th January 2020 The Democratic Republic of Congo is forming a plan to take back two oil blocks from sanctioned Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler and sell them to another company. The Congolese government has talked to Tullow Oil about purchasing a stake in the Lake Albert licences along the country’s border with... →

South Africa should use all available energy resources, Minister says at coal event

By: Simone Liedtke 17th December 2019 Secure and reliable energy supply is a catalyst for economic growth and development, especially within the South African context, says Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, who highlights that an energy mix that uses all available resources is required to bring certainty to the... →

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe

France's Total buys stakes in two Angola offshore oil blocks

By: Reuters 17th December 2019 Total said on Monday it had acquired interests in two new offshore licences in Angola with a view to developing a new production hub alongside the French oil major's partners. Wells drilled so far in the two blocks have produced four discoveries, Total said. It will pay Angolan state oil firm... →

Renergen’s Free State project shows ‘game changing’ potential for domestic power

By: Simone Liedtke 17th December 2019 Drilling at emerging natural gas and helium producer Renergen’s Virginia project, in the Free State, has progressed through the Karoo Supergroup and successfully intersected gas-charged sandstones and fractures, as was previously expected, the company reported on Monday. The gas was intersected... →

CEO Stefano Marani

Sasol willing to consider using ‘green hydrogen’ to produce lower-carbon fuels

By: Terence Creamer 13th December 2019 South African energy and chemicals group Sasol, which is under increasing pressure to lower its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, has indicated a willingness to participate in demonstration projects aimed at deploying its Fischer-Tropsch assets in combination with ‘green hydrogen’, produced from... →

Project aims to create Africa’s helium hub

By: Simone Liedtke 13th December 2019 Emerging natural gas producer Renergen marked the start of the pipeline construction at its flagship Virginia gas project, in the Free State, with a sod-turning ceremony, last month. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid helium production is expected by 2021, when Phase 1 of the project is... →

Renergen CEO Stefano Marani speaks to Engineering News about the company’s flagship Virginia gas project, and what this milestone means for the company

Britain's Tullow Oil shares plunge over 50% as CEO resigns

By: Reuters 9th December 2019 Tullow Oil shares more than halved on Monday as CEO Paul McDade stepped down and the energy company scrapped its dividend after failing to meet production targets due to weak performance by flagship assets in Ghana. The company has been plagued by technical problems at its Jubilee field in Ghana... →

Opec+ agrees to redistribute oil cuts under Saudi pressure

By: , Bloomberg 6th December 2019 Opec+ will adjust its output target and redistribute production cuts between its members under pressure from Saudi Arabia, which has long carried an outsized share of the burden. The group, which pumps more than half the world’s oil, agreed in Vienna on Friday to reduce its output target by 500... →

Opec, allies prepare to deepen oil output cuts

By: Reuters 5th December 2019 Opec and its allies led by Russia were moving closer on Thursday to agreeing to deeper oil supply cuts next year to support crude prices and prevent a glut, sources from Opec and its allied producers said. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) meets on Thursday in Vienna... →

Promoters of Maputo and Richards Bay LNG terminals insist projects can be complementary

By: Terence Creamer 4th December 2019 The promoters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals at Maputo, in Mozambique, and Richards Bay, in South Africa, insist that the two proposed projects can be complimentary rather than competitive as there is sufficient existing demand and growth potential in the region to support both... →

Petredec adds Oilco business to its portfolio

By: Marleny Arnoldi 2nd December 2019 Energy distributor Petredec has acquired the wholesale and logistics divisions of independent Shell-branded fuels and lubricants distributor Oilco, which is based in KwaZulu-Natal. Oilco has several depot operations between Durban and Empangeni. →

Renergen strikes first gas at flagship Virginia project

By: Simone Liedtke 2nd December 2019 Emerging domestic natural gas and helium producer Renergen over the weekend recorded short-term venting of pressurised gas in the drilling mud while still in the Karoo Formation, prior to intersecting the targeted sandstone deposit at its Virgina gas project. Drilling out of the casing shoe... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Dylan Slater
The drill site at Renergen's Virginia gas project, in the Free State

FirstRand commits to disclosing fossil fuel exposure

By: , Bloomberg 28th November 2019 FirstRand, Africa’s biggest bank by market value, has committed to disclosing its fossil fuel-related assets and lending but said it can’t meet a deadline requested by some investors. A resolution to produce that information by October next year wasn’t passed at the Johannesburg-based company’s... →

M&R sees 2020 as ‘a year of consolidation’

By: Simone Liedtke 28th November 2019 Following several acquisitions in the prior financial year, the 2020 financial year will be “a year of consolidation for all three business platforms”, with the focus on growing the order book and on successful project delivery, multinational engineering and construction services provider Murray... →

Six juniors to scope South Africa’s onshore hydrocarbon potential

By: Marleny Arnoldi 26th November 2019 The Petroleum Agency of South Africa (Pasa) has awarded hydrocarbon exploration licences totalling 30 132 km2 to six junior mining companies in a bid to help resolve the country’s energy crisis. There has been very little hydrocarbon exploration activity onshore in South Africa when compared... →

Optimising processes for consumer convenience

22nd November 2019 With the intent of growing and expanding its retail business footprint, integrated chemicals and energy company Sasol is adapting its processes to best suit consumer needs. →

Photo by Sasol
BEACON OF LIGHT Sasol retailers aim to create a personalised and digitally connected platform for the consumer

Rope access ensures optimal maintenance of petrochem tanks

By: Theresa Bhowan 22nd November 2019 The highly explosive nature of the petrochemicals environment requires trained personnel, and often the scope of the work involves a work-at-height and or confined space element, which puts rope-access specialist Skyriders in the frame with its capabilities in performing maintenance and repair... →

UP, UP AND AWAY Skyriders’ projects and safety team assesses the task at hand and determines the type of equipment needed to carry out the task safely

Retail expansion an attainable goal

By: Theresa Bhowan 22nd November 2019 Listed as an overarching strategic focus, Sasol’s Retail division forms an integral part of the Sasol Groups’ investment strategy. Sasol Energy Retail and Corporate Affairs VP Mohamed Carrim, says that the organisation aims to substantially grow its market share in the foreseeable future as it... →

Photo by Sasol
FILL ‘ER UP Sasol has 409 Sasol Convenience Centres nationally each consisting of a forecourt, a convenience store, and a bakery

Planets aligning for SA firms as huge Mozambique gas projects get moving

By: Terence Creamer 22nd November 2019 South Africans have yet to grasp both the scale of the gas resources uncovered in neighbouring Mozambique and the size of the business and energy opportunities these discoveries present. With yet more exploration rounds to come, some 150-trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas has already been... →

Oil and gas production grows amid evolving SADC energy demands

By: Tracy Hancock 22nd November 2019 Petrochemicals company Sasol’s Upstream business unit, comprising Mining and Exploration & Production International (E&PI), contributed 2% to the group’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation for the year ended June 30, 2019, according to Sasol’s integrated report for the... →

MOVEMENTS IN MOZAMBIQUE The drilling of an exploration well is expected soon in Mozambique, where Sasol has signed exploration and production concession contracts on two new blocks

Opec’s flaring political crises add new risk for oil supplies

By: , Bloomberg 21st November 2019 The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Companies (Opec) may have no appetite to cut oil production deeper when it meets next month, but flaring political crises across the group are once again threatening supply. Unrest erupted in Iraq and Iran this month – two of the Middle East’s biggest... →

Renergen approved for secondary listing on A2X

By: Simone Liedtke 20th November 2019 Emerging helium and domestic natural gas producer Renergen has been approved for a secondary listing on the A2X market, in South Africa. Renergen’s listing on the A2X will be effective November 27. →

Russia is making more money from Opec+ deal than Saudi Arabia

By: , Bloomberg 15th November 2019 Russia has earned more money this year from the Opec+ deal than Saudi Arabia, underscoring how the kingdom has carried a greater share of the burden of production cuts. Saudi Arabia on average has cut production almost ten times deeper than Russia since the countries joined forces at the end of... →

Renergen’s Virginia project could place SA on helium export map

14th November 2019 Emerging natural gas producer Renergen’s Virginia gas project, in the Free State, has the potential to position South Africa as a prominent player in the helium market, making it the eighth country in the world to export helium. Simone Liedtke chats to Renergen about what the project is all about. →

Renergen’s Virginia project could place SA on helium export map

Investment case for LNG imports into South Africa to be completed by year-end

By: Terence Creamer 11th November 2019 State-owned logistics group Transnet says the investment case for the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) into South Africa will be completed by year-end and that the solution will be aligned with the anticipated drop-off in gas imports from Mozambique from 2023 onwards. The study is being... →

State-owned logistics group Transnet says the investment case for the import of liquefied natural gas into South Africa will be completed by year-end, Transnet chief business development officer Gert de Beer says. Camera Work: Kutlwano Matlala. Editing: Nicholas Boyd. 11.11.2019

Company’s butterfly valves in high demand

By: Tracy Hancock 8th November 2019 There is significant demand for the InterApp butterfly valves range from engineering consumables and components supplier BMG, with more than 100 units sold a month. Valves from the range have recently been supplied for chemical applications at mining operations and processing plants in Namibia... →

SIGNIFICANT SELLER InterApp Bianca and Desponia butterfly valves are recommended by BMG for high efficiency and safe use in demanding industrial flow control applications

Valve new option for abrasive slurry applications at mines

By: Tracy Hancock 8th November 2019 Gauteng-based valve supplier Ultra Control Valves (UCV) has expanded its offering for slurry and abrasive applications with the introduction of the Titan metal-seated ball valve from Durban-based valve manufacturer Natal Pipe & Valve (NPV). “We now have a complete range of slurry valves, which... →

PROVING POPULAR More consulting engineers are specifying the use of ratio reducing pressure reducing valves

Saipem wins $100m Equatorial Guinea pipeline contract

By: Reuters 7th November 2019 Italy's Saipem has been awarded a contract in Equatorial Guinea worth $90-million to $100-million to build a 70 km subsea pipeline linking the Alen platform with the Punta Europa petrochemical hub, the oil ministry said on Thursday. Gas deliveries from the project, operated by Noble Energy, are... →

Sasol E&PI takes steps to expand its African portfolio

By: Marleny Arnoldi 6th November 2019 Sasol Exploration and Production International (Sasol E&PI) aspires to extend its gas supply from Southern Mozambique into other Southern African countries and West Africa. “We will progressively grow our exploration and production portfolio in Africa, with West Africa representing a key... →

US encourages African countries to import its LNG

By: Kim Cloete 6th November 2019 The US is encouraging African countries to consider importing its abundant supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG), as it expects its production to more than double within the next few years. US Department of Energy assistant secretary Steven Winberg this week said African countries should... →

Total steps up Brulpadda gas exploration

By: Kim Cloete 6th November 2019 Integrated oil and gas company Total says it has seen renewed exploration interest by a range of partners in its Brulpadda discovery of a potential on- billion barrels of gas in the Outeniqua basin, 175 km off the southern coast of South Africa. It is also fast-tracking its planning to maximise... →

Photo by Bloomberg
Total's Brulpadda discovery

Topics In These Articles

Exploration Flow Gas Health PROJECT Safety Financial Petroleum Projects Service Storage System transport Eskom International Atomic Energy Agency Conveyors Cutting Efficiency Electrical Energy Engineering engineering news Motors Packaging Power SEW Eurodrive SEW-Eurodrive Systems Technology Africa ... more

RSS Feed

About

Engineering News is a product of Creamer Media.
www.creamermedia.co.za

Other Creamer Media Products include:
Mining Weekly
Research Channel Africa
Polity

Newsletters

Sign up for our FREE daily email newsletter

Receive daily sector news alerts

More

Subscriptions

We offer a variety of subscriptions to our Magazine, Website, PDF Reports and our photo library.

Subscriptions are available via the Creamer Media Store.

View store

Advertise

Advertising on Engineering News is an effective way to build and consolidate a company's profile among clients and prospective clients. Email advertising@creamermedia.co.za

View options

Subscribe