Golden Swan’s advanced infrastructure is designed for the management of hazardous and industrial waste generated by upstream and downstream operations. (Image source; Adobe Stock)

The recent visit of Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema to Equatorial Guinea’s Golden Swan industrial complex marked a defining moment for Africa’s oil and gas sector

Golden Swan stands as an example of environmental protection and energy development going hand in hand.

Designed for the management of hazardous and industrial waste generated by upstream and downstream operations, Golden Swan’s advanced infrastructure includes industrial incinerators, a wastewater treatment plant, a medical waste processing unit and recycling systems for waste oil, plastics, batteries and metals. The company’s household waste system reduces landfill use by up to 90% through sorting and recycling, and its production of critical industrial gases like medical oxygen and nitrogen.

The visit also sets the stage for tangible collaboration between Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, beyond high-level dialogue. Opportunities now exist for technical cooperation, joint ventures and knowledge sharing that could see similar waste management infrastructure developed across the region. 

The Coral South Project has contributed to 50% of Mozambique’s GDP growth in 2023. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The progress of Mozambique's Coral South Project drove exchanges as Daniel Francisco Chapo, the President of the Republic of Mozambique, and Claudio Descalzi, Eni's chief executive officer, met in Maputo to discuss the company's ongoing and future activities in the country

The Coral South Project has contributed to 50% of Mozambique’s GDP growth in 2023 and is projected to represent 70% of GDP growth in 2024 according to the International Monetary Fund, and the recently approved Plan of Development by the Government of Mozambique, for the implementation of the Coral North FLNG project, that will enable the expansion of LNG production from the Coral reservoir in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin.

The meeting also highlighted Eni’s strategy to diversify its activities in Mozambique, as part of its broader commitment to the country’s energy transition. 

Eni has been present in Mozambique since 2006. Between 2011 and 2014, the company discovered vast natural gas resources in the Rovuma Basin, in the Coral, Mamba Complex and Agulha reservoirs, with around 2,400 billion cubic meters of gas in place. 

The AAGP initiative aims to tap into Europe's huge energy demand. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The Nigerian government has reached out to Vitol, seeking the multinational energy company's financial and technical expertise to advance the US$25bn Atlantic Africa Gas Pipeline (AAGP) project

"I sincerely invite you to join us in making this project a success," said Kashim Shettima, Nigeria’s Vice President. "We need your expertise more than your money," he added, hoping to leverage the company's vast logistical expertise and international network to make the AAGP project a success. 

The AAGP initiative aims to tap into Europe's huge energy demand as part of Africa's gas monetisation drives such as the Nigeria LNG, among others.

"Nigeria has been a close and crucial partner for Vitol," said Jeffrey Dellapina, Vitol’s chief financial officer, emphasising that the company desires to "continue growing alongside it."

The AAGP project is already on the top of the energy agendas of the African Union and European Union, and Vitol getting onboard can draw further investors on a global scale. 

The company aims to complete drilling by October. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Akrare Petroleum Benin SA, a subsidiary of Lime Petroleum Holding, has given a detailed update of its plans with the redevelopment of the Seme Field in Block 1 offshore Benin

The Borr Gerd jack-up rig by Borr Drilling will be arriving this month as drilling is set to start early July. The following 100 days will see the drillinjg of three well-bores. The first will be an appraisal well designed to gather new data on deeper reservoir units. Afterwards, two horizontal production wells will be drilled and completed in the H6 reservoir, in which subsurface analysis has suggested significant remaining reserves, even though there has been previous production. 

The company aims to complete drilling by October, when a Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU) will arrive, along with a Floating Storage & Offloading unit (FSO)set to arrive mid-September. The MOPU will be hooked to the newly-drilled wells, and production is expected to start in October 2025 at production rates of approximately 16,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd). 

The Seme Field redevolopment programme has been planned in phases, beginning with the production restoration stage. This runs parallel to extensive data collection activities for an optimised approach. The reprocessing of 2007 3D seismic data has been completed.

Phase 2 of the development will be evaluated to check possibilities in deeper H7 and H8 reservoirs, as well as further development drilling in the H6 reservoir. 

Lime Petroleum is a subsidiary of the Singapore-based oil and gas company, Rex International Holding.