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The Capricornus 1-X exploration well from Block 2914A that falls under petroleum exploration license (PEL85) in the Orange Basin, offshore Namibia has revealed good petrophysical properties 

The drilling for which the Noble Venturer drillship was used revealed no water contact as hydrocarbon samples and sidewell cores were collected through intensive wireline logging operations. 

Besides 38m of net pay, the well also put to a production test across the light oil-bearing reservoir. The well achieved a surface-constrained flow rate in excess of 11,000 stb/d on a 40/64” choke. The light ~37° API oil exhibited limited associated gas with less than 2% CO2 and no hydrogen sulphide.

Laboratory studies will be conducted on fluid samples collected during the test.

Azule Energy holds a 42.5% stake in the block, alongside co-venturers Rhino Resources (Operator, 42.5%), NAMCOR (10%), and Korres Investments (5%).

The well will now be temporarily plugged and abandoned, and the rig will be released.

Adriano Mongini, Chief Executive Officer of Azule Energy, said, “A successful exploration outcome such as this represents another significant step in Azule Energy’s exploration strategy. It underscores our commitment to unlocking the region’s energy potential while delivering value for all stakeholders. This achievement aligns with other key milestones, including the completion of the Agogo Integrated West Hub development and the landmark New Gas Consortium – Angola’s first nonassociated gas project.”

Norwegian seismic firm TGS has completed reprocessing work on data that it hopes will spur renewed interest in Angola’s forgotten deepwater Block 16

The company has announced that it had finished work on the Block 16 GeoStreamer MC3D seismic dataset in the Lower Congo Basin, in partnership with Agência Nacional de Petróleo, Gás e Biocombustíveis (ANPG).

Exploration in the deepwater Lower Congo Basin has experienced a resurgence in recent years, TGS reported, with numerous significant discoveries being made and rapidly brought on stream.

"This 3,684-sq-km rejuvenation project utilises modern depth processing workflows to deliver enhanced imaging beyond the original data, enabling detailed evaluation of deeper target plays in both post-salt and pre-salt sections,” it said in a statement.

Angola’s Block 16 has remained largely under explored since the early 2010s, however, with the most recent exploration well drilled in 2013. Until recently, publicly-known oil and gas discoveries within Block 16, in the latest dataset, were limited to the Bengo (1994) and Longa (1995) Upper Miocene finds in the northern section.

However, TGS said that a recent re-evaluation of wells in the Lower Congo Basin has identified oil recovery from Upper Miocene reservoirs in the southern part of the survey area. The survey also provides partial coverage of the field, a marginal field development opportunity currently being marketed by ANPG.

Discovered in 2003, Tchihumba contains hydrocarbon-bearing zones within Upper Miocene, Lower Miocene and Oligocene sands, with recoverable volumes estimated at approximately 136mn barrels.

Additionally, the Lumpembe-1 oil discovery on Block 15/06, drilled in 2023 and currently undergoing development studies, falls within the survey’s coverage.

“TGS is very pleased to continue our support of exploration in this region with our high-quality seismic data,” said David Hajovsky, executive vice president multi-client, TGS. “These accumulations, along with the proximity of significant neighbouring discoveries, present strong opportunities for future exploration success.”

Other West African projects TGS has completed recently include an enhancement of its Fusion 3D seismic dataset offshore Sierra Leone, focusing on the Vega prospect.

Recent discoveries in South America have intensified interest in this region, TGS stated late last year, positioning Sierra Leone as a promising new exploration frontier.

“With growing interest from international oil companies and independents, the Fusion 3D data comes at a crucial time.”

TGS also signed an agreement last year to enhance datasets in Mauritania with the Ministère du Pétrole, des Mines et de l’Énergie, strengthening its position as the sole provider of multi-client subsurface data in the country.

Read more offshore Angola news here:

Red Sky Energy signs risk service contract on Angola Block 6-24

Cabgoc's Sanha project achieves first gas offshore Angola

Sequa Petroleum to acquire interests in multiple blocks in Angola

Subsurface technology provider, Sercel's WiNG land seismic nodal solution now has a new three component version with the launch of the WiNG DFU-3C

Addressing the high-end seismic applications for today's energy and mineral E&P market, the integrated three-component node acquires the most comprehensive and high-definition data for outstanding imaging, characterisation and monitoring of the subsurface. As part of the WiNG range, it comes complete with unique advanced features as standard, such as the ultra-sensitive QuietSeis broadband digital sensor and Pathfinder transmission management technology. Combined with its market-leading compact and lightweight design, the DFU-3C offers unprecedented precision, efficiency and portability.

Jerome Denigot, CEO, Sercel said, "The WiNG DFU-3C is an excellent example of Sercel’s commitment to providing innovative and high-performance solutions to our customers. Building on the success of our widely used WiNG single-component node, this three-component version brings greater survey accuracy and flexibility. Its vector fidelity, sensor stability and low-frequency capabilities make the WiNG DFU-3C ideal for the most demanding E&P subsurface challenges, meeting the needs of our customers in both the energy and mining markets."

With Africa continuing to increasingly focus on natural gas production as a greener alternative to oil production, this is high time the continent steps up to have its natural gas infrastructure in place 

Energy intelligence firm, Rystad Energy, has predicted that with gas demand set to see an upsurge, the global production count of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is likely to reach 755 Mtpa in 2030 from last year's 486 Mtpa. 

The demand will also be driven by the fact that not all regions are equipped with good production capacities or pipelines access.

This, however, is not the case for Africa which hosts about 20% of the 477 Mtpa total —around 93 Mtpa— of global LNG capacity in the pipeline. These include under-construction projects, confirmed final investment decision (FID) or pre-FID. 

In fact, the testatment to Africa's significance in the global gas market lies in its attracting the highest concentration of FLNG infrastructure in the world. It currently hosts an onshore LNG production capacity of approximately 70 Mtpa, accounting for around 14% of the global total.

Nigeria leading LNG production count

While Rystad Energy has found that Nigeria leads these statistics by almost half the continent's total LNG production count, the country still struggles to reach its full potential owing to vandalism and theft-related challenges. Its annual liquefaction rates have taken a hit from an average of 90% in 2018 to 60% last year. 

With the right installations such as  floating LNG (FLNG) and smaller-scale mini-LNG projects, Nigeria's exports capacity can rise 20 million tonnes (Mt) by 2030. 

Nigeria makes West Africa the hub of LNG production, making up nearly two-thirds of the sub-Saharan Africa's output and more than one-third of the continent’s total. West Africa's LNG production count is set to reach 50% by 2030. 

"Nigeria has consistently ranked among the top LNG producers globally, despite export volumes being much smaller than those of the US, Australia and Qatar. Nigerian LNG, which is positioned outside the ongoing US tariff war, offers crucial flexibility for Asian and European buyers thanks to its strategic location and shorter transit times compared to US LNG exports. However, ongoing pipeline vandalism and oil theft continue to hinder Nigeria’s ability to fully capitalise on its resources. While we expect Nigeria's LNG exports to recover, they are unlikely to place the country among the top five global exporters in the near future," said Antonia Syn, analyst - commodities markets, Rystad Energy. 

The third Iran-Africa Economic Cooperation Conference was addressed by Iran’s First Vice President, Mohammadreza Aref, who expressed the country’s interests in advancing trade relations with Africa

He said that Iran is ready to export petrochemicals to Africa with an aim to strengthen strategic partnership between the two countries given the current shifts in global power dynamics.

Refering to its mineral and mining sectors as 'golden soils', Iran extended all kinds of technical support for Africa's industrial growth. 

Aref also announced the country's intent for collaboration with Africa to advance clean energy and regional electricity networks. Technological cooperation and knowledge transfer in other fields were also discussed.

The East Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (EA-ECS), taking place 29-30 January in Arusha, Tanzania, will be uniting the region's energy independent poiwer producers (IPPs) and engineering, procurement, construction and financing contract (EPCF) stakeholders to discuss the region's investment potential and innovations taking place in the industry

The event will delve into the success stories, including the Ethiopia-Kenya electricity highway, highlighting the role of cross-border collaboration for economic and social development.

Led by Ministers from across the EAC and large-scale energy users, over two days, the Arusha Summit will deep dive into opportunities for the private sector, advocating for a diversified energy mix to maintain grid stability to support major industrial growth, as well as C&I generation.

“Energy is a pillar for development and growth and is crucial for the functioning of the economies of the EAC Partner States. The East Africa Energy Cooperation Summit will serve as the ideal platform for advancing projects and bringing tangible changes in the industry,” said Andrea Malueth, deputy secretary general (Infrastructure, Productive, Social & Political Sectors), East African Community Secretariat.

“Ten years from now, the EAC’s middle classes will have more job stability, more opportunities, and more disposable income than ever before. New railways, industries, ports, and tourism will position the region as the number one investment destination globally, taking the title back from both parts of Asia and Latin America,” said Elisa Palmioli, producer, EnergyNet, which is organising the event.