Congo Council of Ministers approve hydrocarbons laws. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Congo's national oil company, Societe Nationale des Petroles du Congo (SNPC), gains a solid ground as two significant laws supporting the country's hydrocarbons industry receive approval of the Council of Ministers 

The first law now recognises SNPC as the owner of the new Likouala II exploration permit, following Perenco and Congorep's (a joint venture between Perenco and SNPC) handover of shares. With the new structure, Perenco's shares stand at 64.5%, Congorep at 20.5%, and SNPC at 15%.

The second law allows the Ikalou II permit that comes from the Ikalou Sud concession. With this permit that is valid for 20 years, SNPC retains a 15% stake following Perenco's 85%. 

Also read:

Congo promotes local content

Congo oil and gas sector is thriving

The rebranding follows the Prime consolidation. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Africa Oil Corp has launched its new brand identity with a change of name to Meren Energy Inc

This follows the completion of the Prime consolidation, doubling reserves and production in high quality offshore assets that benefit from low lifting costs, premium Brent pricing and a favourable fiscal regime.

The Company’s common shares will trade under the new symbol ‘MER’ on the TSX and Nasdaq OMX Stockholm. 

Commenting on the launch of Meren, president and chief executive officer, Roger Tucker, said, “The recent completion of the Prime consolidation felt like the natural catalyst to rebrand the Company given the transformational impact of that transaction. Over the last couple of years, we have worked diligently to enhance our investment proposition by simplifying the structure of the business and gaining more direct interests in our large-scale and high-netback assets in deepwater Nigeria. The business model has also evolved considerably over the past few years; moving away from being exploration led to being a full-cycle E&P underpinned by strong cash flow generation that supports our commitment to meaningful shareholder returns.”

The name Meren is derived from an old nautical term representing the mooring of a vessel as it docks. Inspired by the maritime legends that set sail in pursuit of new worlds, the name mirrors the Company’s stability anchored by a diverse portfolio, strong cash flow profile and proven ability to work side by side with industry leaders on world-class assets.

Meren will be working to drive long-term value through its existing portfolio of world-class assets. It will be considering strategic acquisition of production assets within target markets.

Shane Harris, ExxonMobil’s managing director in Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to the chief executive of NUPRC, Gbenga Komolafe. (Image source: NUPRC)

In a clear move for startegic expansion, ExxonMobil has confirmed the initiation of planned investments of US$1.5bn for deepwater exploration and development in Nigeria 

The announcement was made by Shane Harris, ExxonMobil’s managing director in Nigeria, during a courtesy visit to the chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe.

Expected to be implemented between Q2 2025-2027, the initiative will include production revitalisation from the Usan field, several funding approvals, and a field development plan approval during the late Q3 2025. Other activities include accelerated development of the Owowo and Erha fields, among others. 

Emphasising the importance of collaboration between investors and regulators in meeting Nigeria's production optimisation goals, Komolafe said, “The Commission is committed to the implementation of Section 109 of the PIA which addresses the subject of willing buyer, willing seller and we urge producers to comply with the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation.” 

The contract will commence in the third quarter 2026. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Valaris Limited has been awarded a five-well contract offshore West Africa for drillship VALARIS DS-15

The US$135mn-worth contract that will span nearly 250 days, is scheduled to commence in the third quarter 2026.

Including upfront payments for rig upgrades and mobilisation, the total contract value does not include the provision of additional services. There are priced options for up to five wells with an estimated total duration of 80 to 100 days.

Delivering complex drilling solutions

President and chief executive officer Anton Dibowitz said, “We are excited to have secured another contract for one of our high-specification drillships. As part of this contract, the rig will be upgraded with an enhanced managed pressure drilling system. We believe this contract reflects the market’s preference for contractors that can deliver complex drilling solutions with high-specification, seventh generation drillships. In addition, this contract adds to our presence offshore West Africa, where we are well positioned for future contracting opportunities.”