Page 14 - AfrOil Week 30 2021

AfrOil PROJECTS & COMPANIES AfrOil

This will involve the drilling of up to nine new look forward to building a long and mutually
development wells that will be used to extract beneficial partnership with Baker Hughes.”
the remaining crude oil from the field. Accord- Toks Azeez, a sales and commercial execu-
ing to a competent person’s report (CPR) from tive at Baker Hughes, also struck a positive note.
Gaffney Cline and Associates dated June 2021, “We are extremely pleased to be selected for this
Abura still contains 16.2mn barrels of crude in project with Sirius and their JV partners,” he
proven and probable reserves. said. “This project represents an important step
Bobo Kuti, the CEO of Sirius, said that col- towards delivering our world-class Integrated
laboration with Baker Hughes would benefit Well Services solutions on one of the more pro-
his company. “We are delighted to have secured lific fields within the Niger Delta. Baker Hughes’
the services of one of the world’s leading energy technology efficiencies and excellence in execu-
technology companies to work with our joint tion will support Sirius in enhancing their cost
venture team to deliver the approved work pro- effectiveness and competitiveness in the energy
gramme on the OML 65 block,” he stated. “We market.” ™

Eni and Kenya sign MoU on

biofuel processing capacity

KENYA ITALY’S Eni is moving forward with plans for on imported petroleum products and support-
the development of biofuel processing capacity ing overall decarbonisation efforts. “Other
in Kenya. Last week, the company revealed in expected benefits include developing sustaina-
a statement that it had signed a memorandum ble agricultural activities and circular economy,
of understanding (MoU) with Kenya’s Minis- producing power from renewable sources, fos-
try of Petroleum and Mining on “[promoting] tering the economic competitiveness of the local
the decarbonisation process to tackle climate industry and creating new jobs,” it said.
change through new industrial models of [a] Additionally, it commented, the projects
fully integrated circular economy along the are in line with the Paris Agreement on climate
whole bio-fuel production value chain.” change, the UN’s Sustainable Development
According to the statement, the MoU pro- Goals and Eni’s own commitments to reduce its
vides for the parties to assess the prospects for emissions, double bio-refining capacity by 2024
converting an existing oil-processing plant in and become palm-oil free by 2023. Moreover,
Mombasa into a bio-refinery. It also lays the they will promote Kenya’s implementation of its
groundwork for the joint construction of a new- national bio-energy strategy and national devel-
build facility that will use waste biomass to pro- opment plans, including the Kenya Vision 2030
duce second-generation bio-ethanol using Eni’s programme. ™
Ecofining™ e Proesa® technologies.
Additionally, Eni and the ministry will con-
duct joint feasibility studies “to develop waste
and residue collection as well as agricultural
projects, with the purpose of establishing a wide
range of feedstock sources that do not compete
with food cycles.” These feedstock sources may
eventually be used to supply Eni’s bio-refineries
in Gela and Venice, Italy, the statement said.
It went on to say that waste and residue col-
lection would involve the promotion and exe-
cution of a collection system for used cooking
oil (UCO) and “other agro-processing residues.”
Meanwhile, it stated, the agricultural projects
will emphasise the development of low-ILUC
(indirect land use change) oil crop cultivation.
These crops might include castor for growth
on degraded land, croton trees at agro-forestry
sites “and other agro-industrial co-products,”
the statement said.
Eni pointed out that the projects mentioned
in the MoU would benefit Kenya by diversifying
the country’s energy mix, reducing dependence Eni may convert the Mombasa refinery into a bio-fuel plant (Photo: KPRL)

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 30 28•July•2021