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Jersey-based oil and gas company, Predator Oil & Gas Holdings Plc, is well on its way to begin drilling onshore Morocco around 25 February as civil engineering work to improve access roads and prepare the MOU-5 well pad has commenced on its Guercif licence at the MOU-5 drill site

This is part of the company's ambitous Guercif Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) project.

The CEO of Predator, Paul Griffiths, is hopeful that the Titanosaurus structure may be 'potentially transformational to the Company's already diversified asset base in a success case'. The potentially high-impact structure that it will be drilling lies right next to an existing gas infrastructure. Fiscally speaking, the company considers this a 'rare opportunity' given the dwindling gas storage reserves in Europe this winter and geopolitical concerns over security of gas supply.

Golden age for gas exploration

"Our hydrocarbon sector has seen a global resurgence of interest and activity outside of the UK and Europe over the past few months led by the United States, Norway, Middle East, Africa and Far East.

"We are potentially entering a 'golden age' for gas exploration and production to support: the energy transition by lowering CO2 emissions through replacing coal and oil; and to ameliorate energy price rises by increasing supply and security of access to gas at "crunch" times, when renewable energy cannot cope due to unattractive weather conditions.

"It is not often that macro geopolitical and economic factors align with a gas development strategy. We are currently in that cycle and ready to attempt to take advantage of it," said Griffiths. 

Predator takes gas production seriously as it considers development finance required for 'First Gas' from Morocco, besides aiming to supply CNG to the Moroccan industry. 

Pancontinental Energy NL has delivered the Seismic License for PEL 87 offshore Namibia to Woodside Energy following relevant approval from the Namibian authority

The Seismic License provides Woodside ongoing rights to the PEL 87 3D seismic data, the acquisition and processing of which was funded by it. While Pancontinental Orange Pty Ltd holds 75% operatorship in the PEL 87 Joint Venture, there is an exclusive scope for Woodside to derive over a 56% participating interest from Pancontinental’s shares. 

Pancontinental, on the other hand, has an option over a 1% participating interest to be derived from the 15% share exercised by Custos Investments (Pty) Ltd. 

The Seismic License delivery marks the origin of the 180 days-long Long Stop Date which is 18 May 2025, when Woodside Energy may exercise its option to farmin to PEL 87.

Orange Basin

Besides Pancontinental and Custos, the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) owns a 10% interest in the PEL 87 Joint Venture. 

PEL 87 belongs in the Orange Basin which keeps giving, with latest light oil discovery reported in March from Mopane in PEL 83. 

GlobalData has released its strategic intelligence report, titled, 'Virtual Reality in Oil and Gas' that looks into areas of application of virtual reality in the industry, from rigs and pipelines to refineries

Oil and gas companies are now investing on training modules for the workforce and visualising the asset under consideration for planning and decision making. 

Ravindra Puranik, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, said, "VR enhances the operational safety through immersive training programmes. It can help develop safety procedures at production facilities to address smaller accidents as well as for emergency response."

Companies such as Shell, bp, Chevron, and ExxonMobil, are using VR as a cost-effective option to train as well as aid regular workflows in operations. These sessions usually comprises virtual walk-throughs, away from heavy industrial equipment.

Puranik said, “Industry technicians work in hazardous environments, such as offshore rigs or at a densely packed equipment maze in a refinery. VR can be used to relay important information and instructions to the technician onsite, without the need to fly out experts to that location or carrying detailed instruction manuals for referencing.”

VR plays a key role in the digital twin set up, helping companies recreate scenarios through detailed simulations. During planning and development, the collaborating teams can share information using VR to simulate various scenarios. It is useful in optimizing equipment performance and maximizing the asset life. Digital twins help to design workflows and identify bottlenecks to optimize a plant’s performance. Twins also help to create a 3D visualization of the seismic data using VR simulations.

Puranik concludes: “Various aspects of a production platform can be modeled through VR simulations to enhance the understanding of personnel for on-field tasks. They can simulate the processes using VR before implementing on the operational floor. It thus reduces the scope for human errors during critical operations. Besides, designers and engineers can better visualize the layout under development using VR technology. This can potentially help to improve designs, and carefully plan its execution to optimize the project costs.”

Mauritania and Senegal see first gas as the bp-operated FLNG Gimi by Golar LNG Limited received feed gas from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim offshore project 

The FLNG is under a 20-year Lease and Operate Agreement between bp and Gloar LNG on the GTA field.

Fully commissioned

The development ramps up the full commissioning of the FLNG. Prior to achieving this key milestone, gas from the LNG carrier British Sponsor was being used to undertake advanced commissioning work. The first LNG export cargo is expected within Q1 2025, and full Commercial Operations Date is expected within Q2 2025, subject to all conditions being met. 

A significant part of the gas produced will be directed to help meet growing energy demand in the two host countries. 

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd has restreamed the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), commencing crude oil processing from the plant for the delivery of petroleum products into the market

The NNPC group chief executive officer, Mele Kyari, announced the development, expressing his gratitude to all stakeholders involved, and marked the occasion as an era of energy independence and economic growth for the country.

Products delivered included premium motor spirit (PMS), automotive gas oil (AGO) and household kerosene (HHK), among others. 

The PHRC rehabilitation project, is an engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) project that is aimed at restoring the refinery to full functionality and renewal.

Oil majors highlighted Libya’s immense hydrocarbons potential during Libya Energy & Economic Summit 2025

“With 40% of Africa’s reserves, Libya remains largely untapped,” said Julien Pouget, Senior Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa at TotalEnergies. Speaking of the company's plans for the year in Libya, which includes several exploration activities, notably kickstarting work on the Waha and Sharara fields, Pouget said, "“We expect results next week.” TotalEnergies has also reported promising opportunities in the Sirte and Murzuq basins. 

Set to launch three exploration plays in the region – shallow, deepwater and ultra-deep offshore, Eni upstream director Luca Vignati expressed the company's high anticipation of Libya. "No other country offers such opportunities,” he said. Oil exploration besides, Eni is highly invested in Libyan gas with the US$10bn Greenstream pipeline and a CO2 capture and storage plant in Mellitah.

Lauding Libya's efforts in fighting natural field decline and encouraging exploration, Repsol's executive managing director, exploration & production, Francisco Gea showed faith in achieving the country's production targets. “We have reached 340,000 barrels per day. The two million target is within reach, and as international companies, we have the responsibility to bring capacity and technology,” he said. Repsol has just resumed drilling in Murzuq Basin onshore Libya.

Maximising production

Travis Purvis, senior vice president of global drilling operations at Nabors, stressed on the adaptation of innovation and cutting edge solutions to maximise production and accelerate exploration, while reducing costs and enhancing safety. With ambitions to double oil production, Libya is also prioritising licensing rounds, inviting both domestic companies and international tenders. 

Bashir Garea, Technical Advisor to the Chairman of the NOC, highlighted the country’s immense oil and gas potential. “We have 48 billion barrels of discovered but unexploited oil, with total potential estimated at 90 billion barrels, especially offshore,” he said. He also pointed to Libya’s sizable gas reserves, noting, “Libya has 122 trillion cubic feet of gas yet to be developed. To unlock this potential, we need more investors and new technology, particularly for brownfield revitalisation.”

“Our strategy spans the entire value chain. Strengthening infrastructure is essential to maximising production and efficiency,” said Hisham Najah, General Manager of the NOC’s Investment & Owners Committees Department.