Driven by an increase in global energy demand, the need to transition to cleaner sources of energy and efforts by African countries to diversify the energy mix for energy security, Africa’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) market witnessed significant growth with massive project launches and announcements in 2022.
These developments are set to position African gas producers as globally competitive exporters, while opening up new opportunities for industrialization, electrification and sustainable socioeconomic growth.
UTM Offshore Signs FEED Contract for Nigeria FLNG Project
Following securing an investment deal with the African Export-Import Bank to co-finance Nigeria’s first Floating LNG (FLNG) facility in July 2022, UTM Offshore reached a milestone for the 1.2 million tons per annum project by signing a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract for the project with JGC Corporation, Technip Energies and Kellogg Brown & Root on November 16 in London.
The contract will move the $1.8 million project from the fundraising stage to the implementation phase to allow the exploitation and monetization of vast gas resources in the OML 104 block, which is operated by NNPC Limited and ExxonMobil.
Mozambique Exports first LNG from Coral Sul
Mozambique made its first LNG shipment from the much-anticipated Coral Sul project, located in Area 4 in the Rovuma Basin. Using an FLNG system, Eni will secure gas from six subsea producing wells to sell to bp, as part of a long-term purchase agreement, to meet growing demand in Europe and Asia.
The milestone followed Eni increasing its project development partners in mid-2022, by partnering with Air Products, BHGE, Norsafe, and Sofec, to fast-track initiative rollout. Eni had introduced the first hydrocarbons into the FLNG plant in June 2022.
Final Investment Decision for Angola’s Quiluma and Maboqueiro Fields
Eni and its project partners in the New Gas Consortium – including Chevron’s affiliate in Angola Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Limited, Sonangol, bp and TotalEnergies – reached a Final Investment Decision (FID) for the development of the Quiluma and Maboqueiro gas fields.
As a result, offshore wellhead platforms, an onshore gas processing plant and a connection to the Angola LNG plant will be built to allow the monetization of up to 4 billion cubic meters of gas in the form of LNG per annum as from 2026.
Senegal and Mauritania’s Greater Tortue Ahmeyim Nears Completion
With Chinese shipment company, COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry, completing the build-up of a floating, production, storage and offloading vessel for Senegal and Mauritania’s Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project in September 2022, bp announced in early November that the project is approximately 85% complete and is targeting first production in the first half of 2023.
With up to 15 trillion cubic feet of gas available for exploitation over a period of 30 years, GTA will not only drive energy security in Mauritania and Senegal but will bring in a new era of economic growth through energy monetization and exports.
South Africa Launches First Commercial LNG facility
In September 2022, helium and natural gas producer, Renergen, launched Phase 1 of the Virginia Gas Project – South Africa’s first commercial LNG plant – located in the country’s Free State Province. The LNG facility will have a capacity of 2,700 gigajoules per day (GJ/d) of LNG which will be expanded to 24,000 GJ/d in Phase 2.
Tanzania Inks $30-billion LNG Contract with Majors
In June 2022, the government of Tanzania inked a $30 billion deal with Shell and Equinor for the construction of an LNG terminal to exploit and monetize gas reserves stranded offshore. As part of the deal, the three parties agreed to complete FEED for the project within three years, reach a FID in 2025 and achieve first production by 2029. According to a study conducted by Standard Bank, the LNG project has the potential to contribute up to $7 billion to the government’s gross domestic product per annum.
Guinea-Conakry Launches $300 Million LNG Project
In partnership with West Africa LNG, the government of Guinea-Conakry kickstarted the development of a $300 million LNG project, comprising provision and distribution networks, in May 2022. An LNG receiving terminal is being built at the Port of Kamsar, as well as a liquefaction plant and an export terminal to allow the exploitation of the country’s gas reserves to meet growing global energy demand.
Source : Energy Capital
