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Bourbon has been awarded a new fully integrated logistics contract for a major exploration campaign, with first drilling to begin offshore southern Namibia

The first integrated logistics contract for the operator, its scope ranges from freight forwarding and logistics base services to marine services. This involves everything from international shipment and customs clearance of the equipment to arrive at Walvis Bay, all the way from Houston, Singapore and Antwerp. The contract reserves the deployment of three platform supply vessels – Bourbon Diamond, Ruby and Topaz.

Incidentally, Chevron Namibia Exploration Limited had entered Petroleum Exploration License 82 (PEL 82) in May with an 80% working interest and operatorship.

Ambitious project

Spearheading the entire logistics operations from planning to conduct, Bourbon will utilise its data management system, Bourbon Logistics Suite software, which enables all logistics operations to be planned, executed and controlled from end to end. The 7-hectare logistics base is located in Walvis Bay and will employ almost 50 shore-based staff, 96% of whom are Namibians, who will benefit from specialised training, particularly in materials handling.

Nicolas Chateau, managing director of Bourbon Logistics, said, “Bourbon Logistics is mobilised to bring exemplary management of the client's supply chain, with strict adherence to deadlines and constant attention to the highest safety standards. This new contract confirms Bourbon Logistics’ expertise and recognition by major O&G operators to bring increasingly comprehensive services to its clients, in their most ambitious projects.” 

In April, Bourbon Mobility had announced a major investment with Piriou to receive six new crewboats for operation in West Africa, which are due for delivery next year. 

Energy data and intelligence provider, TGS, has expanded 3D seismic coverage for its Benin MegaSurvey, in collaboration with Societe Nationale des Hydrocarbures du Benin (SNH-B)

This strategic initiative aims to deepen understanding of the region’s subsurface geology and unlock its untapped hydrocarbon potential. 

Previously, TGS had also acquired data from countries such as Tanzania and Liberia. 

With this expansion, the company will add 2,248 sq km of high-quality conventional 3D seismic data to the existing Benin MegaSurvey. The expanded coverage will span from the continental shelf to the slope, offering a comprehensive view of the area and revealing previously untapped exploration potential.

Seamless data integration

Besides the seismic expansion, TGS has also incorporated 10 wells into its advanced tool, RockAVO atlas, which integrates seismic data with well information, offering explorers a powerful suite of capabilities. It features the Interactive Rock Physics Atlas, which allows to explore rock physics models, analyse elastic properties, and visualise seismic AVO responses for detailed subsurface insights.

Explorers can access a wealth of well logs, rock physics models, and data atlases in a single platform, streamlining exploration workflows through its Well Data Integration platform.

While there is a Scenario Testing facility that helps screen for geological analogs, and assess lithology, fluid content, and porosity to de-risk plays and enhance decision-making, the tool also ensures data accuracy and seismic image integrity with enhanced Quality Control features. 

Exploration interests in Benin have been growing lately with companies such as Rex International Holding and  Zenith Energy operating in the Seme Field. 

Halliburton, a leading provider of products and services to the energy industry, has announced that it will open new facilities in Namibia to support the country’s in-country operations

The facilities are located across the country, representing a combined footprint of approximately 20,000 sq m. The Windhoek office will handle support services; a Walvis Bay site will focus on cementing and drilling fluids services and warehousing; Swakopmund will house sperry drilling, well completions, testing & subsea, and wirelines & perforating services; while Lüderitz will support cementing and wirelines operations.

Up to 200 Namibians are expected to be employed at the facilities, helping to foster local expertise in relevant technologies and contribute to the country’s economy.

“These new facilities allow us to operate close to our customers, collaborate in real time, and deliver the advanced technologies and services that maximise asset value,” remarked Antoine Berel, Vice President, Halliburton Sub-Saharan Africa (South). “We are proud to support Namibia’s oil and gas industry, contribute to the economic success of the country, and create opportunities for local people.”

Halliburton has indicated that the announcement is a demonstration of the importance of the country’s growing oil and gas sector, with the new facilities dedicated to supporting this growth while strengthening the company’s regional presence.

At AOW: Investing in African Energy held in Cape Town form 7-10 October, a dedicated panel discussion considered how the continent can secure its future in a changing landscape

Specifically, the session was dedicated to the role of gas, with the pipeline of associated projects in the continent never being stronger. However, if Africa is to be competitive in a dynamic international gas market, it must ensure that it offers value. This means shaping an offer that meets the financial and environmental sustainability of stakeholders; gas investment propositions must be relevant and future-proof or global capital will not be forthcoming.

“Natural gas is at the centre of what we are doing in Africa,” commented Mario Bello, head of sub-Saharan Africa region at Eni. “It’s the cleanest fossil fuel, producing fewer emissions than coal, so it plays an important role as we transition to renewables… Floating LNG is the key to unlocking the region’s gas potential, making it easier and faster to develop offshore resources.”

A stable investment environment

Meanwhile, Paul Eardley-Taylor, head of oil & gas, southern Africa at Standard Bank, considered the financing challenge that remains a significant hurdle for projects. He emphasised the need for bankable projects that address investor concerns, particularly around sovereign risk. He also drew attention to the transformative potential of large-scale LNG projects and smaller, domestically-focused gas ventures, labelling the impact they could have in African markets “incalculable”.

Stressing the importance of a stable investment climate to attract international capital, Equinor’s senior vice president for Africa, Nina Birgitte Koch, said, “CO2 is the key criteria. It’s not just a ‘nice to have’ any more. I don’t think it’s possible to get capital to a big LNG project unless it’s highly competitive when it comes to CO2."

Tshepo Mokoka, Group COO of South Africa’s Central Energy Fund (CEF), raised the call for government intervention to address market failures and unlock investment. He outlined CEF's role in enabling critical gas infrastructure projects, such as the Romp pipeline and LNG import terminals. “We need to solve the market failure,” Mokoka surmised, highlighting the need for government-backed gas offtake agreements and risk-sharing mechanisms to attract private capital.

ExxonMobil’s executive director global, LNG marketing, Deri Irawan, emphasised the importance of a holistic approach to project development, considering not just the technical and economic aspects but also the social and political landscape. He commented on the need for strong partnerships and stakeholder engagement to ensure long-term project success. “It is insufficient to just bring a commodity to the doorstep. You also need to unlock that value chain.”

Gianluca Ciricugno, Africa director, enterprise customer solution at Baker Hughes, took the opportunity to stress the need for a long-term vision and collaboration between governments, investors, and technology providers. He urged, “It requires a broader vision, probably government and all the people around the table, with a long-term approach… and not just four-year terms.”

Structural performance management (SPM) provider, Akselos, has announced the expansion of its SPM software offering for hydrotreaters in the refining and petrochemicals sector globally

With more than 3,400 hydrotreating units worldwide processing hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of product annually, refineries face mounting pressure to reduce emissions. The energy-intensive processes involved in oil extraction, processing, refining and transport contributed to 450 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions globally in 2022 alone, underscoring the urgent need for the sector to optimise operations and monitor aging infrastructure.

Early deployment results emphasize the technology's transformative impact. At a North American refinery Akselos' SPM software reduced startup and shutdown times of the plants reactor by up to 20% while maintaining strict safety standards. The improved visibility into asset health also enabled more precise maintenance planning, reducing unnecessary downtime and associated operational waste.

"The petrochemicals sector is at a crossroads. It’s still vital in today’s energy mix, but its operations are inefficient and are having a significant impact on the environment,” said Claus Reimers, chief product and technology officer at Akselos. “Akselos can’t answer all of their problems, but we are supporting refinery and petrochemicals operators globally to maximise their output, make better, more informed decisions and ultimately enable them to operate energy intensive equipment like reactors, heaters, furnaces and separators, more efficiently, for longer.”

By bringing real-time structural health monitoring directly into the control room, this technology empowers operators to increase their bottom line through optimized maintenance schedules, extended asset life while maximizing output, and minimizing both planned and unplanned downtime.

Akselos' SPM software, developed on a next-generation technology stack, compliant with all major industry standards (e.g. API 579), delivers simulation capabilities that are 1,000 times faster than legacy solutions while providing 30-50 times greater analytical detail. It has been hardened over a decade in the industry and is now a standard solution for supermajors.

During a panel session at ADIPEC 2024, industry stakeholders discussed ways to increase collaboration between countries in the global South and the global North

The discussion focused on energy transitions and the role of OPEC in ensuring energy access. Key points included the need for diverse energy sources, with OPEC advocating for all forms of energy, not just renewables. The conversation highlighted energy inequalities, such as Heathrow Airport consuming more energy than Sierra Leone.

The Paris Agreement was emphasised as a reduction of emissions, not a phase-out of fossil fuels. The East Africa pipeline and Uganda's oil projects faced financing challenges but are progressing.

The importance of South-South cooperation and regional collaboration in energy projects was underscored, with examples from Uganda, Cyprus, and Sierra Leone.

His Excellency Haitham Al Ghais, Secretary General of OPEC, explained why fossil fuels will continue to play an important role in the global South.

“We talk about the importance of another factor, which is urbanisation. By 2030 which is less than six years from today, we're going to have over 582 million people, nearly 600 million people, moving into new cities all around the world, again in non OECD developing parts of the world,” he said.

“The Paris Agreement, ladies and gentlemen, is about reduction of emissions. It's not about phasing out or phasing down or keeping the oil under the ground. It's about reducing emissions that includes technology, that includes investing in renewables, investing in all sources of energy.”

“We have the OPEC Fund for International Development, an agency, a sister agency, based in Vienna, that is very active in Africa and other parts of the world in developing and promoting socio economic development projects, energy projects as well as renewable energy projects.”

“We also have the charter of cooperation, which we signed in 2019 which is a platform that is open for oil producers to participate in, whether it's exchange of technologies, exchange of experiences between various member countries and non OPEC producers who are not members of OPEC that can participate in this platform to gain access to the best practices being implemented in our member countries.”

Growing South-South collaboration

Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa, said, “The East African crude oil pipeline was a negotiated project, and it was a win-win. My president wanted all the oil refined in Uganda, but because we didn't have money to do it by ourselves, we collaborated with investors and we let some of the crude leave the country, while some is refined, which will come with industrialisation.”

Deputy Minister of Energy for Sierra Leone Edmond Nonie, said, “We have big clients in the mining sector who have the capital to pay and have the willingness to pay for lower priced electricity from the grid. So we are embarking on a campaign to connect these mining companies, and once we have these transmission lines out to these companies, we can then do the further, last mile connection to our communities.”

Meanwhile, Cyprus is collaborating with Egypt for energy transmission.

The country’s Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, George Papanastasiou, said, “The conversation with my colleagues in Egypt is to utilise the [Egyptian] infrastructure [for export]. Secondly, there are pipelines that cross the eastern Mediterranean, which reach Egypt. And the infrastructure in Egypt, there are two LNG terminals, liquefaction plants in Egypt, which are under-utilised.

“This is possibly the destination in order to reach the markets. Of course, there is the domestic market of Egypt as well, which is very important. We all know that power generation in this country is mostly coming from natural gas. Cyprus is very well positioned, and at the right time in order to support and provide the natural gas and use the infrastructure in order to reach the international markets.”