Page 15 - AfrOil Week 20 2022

AfrOil PROJECTS & COMPANIES AfrOil

The aforementioned IOCs, along with several developments, local companies and workers
state-owned Chinese companies such as China must have a role to play in the gas value chain
National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC), Sino- as well, it added.
pec and PetroChina International, are among This, said the chamber will promote inclusiv-
those that prequalified to bid in April 2022. ity and equal opportunities. As such, the AEC
Plans for developing offshore gas reserves do pledged to support Mozambique in its efforts to
face some obstacles. An Islamist insurgency in ramp up the domestic market, ensuring mutu-
the north has already disrupted the 13mn tonne ally beneficial economic growth for years to
per year (tpy) Mozambique LNG project, led by come.
TotalEnergies, and the 15mn tpy Rovuma LNG “As the continent moves forward with nat-
project, led by ExxonMobil. ural gas maximisation and monetisation,
By contrast, the Eni-led Coral South LNG Mozambique cannot be left behind, but rather,
project, which will rely entirely on offshore should take a leading role in positioning Africa
facilities for the extraction of gas to support a as a competitive gas economy,” said Ayuk. “It is
floating LNG (FLNG) plant capable of turning critical, therefore, that the government and all of
out 3.4mn tpy, has not been disturbed. Eni has the country’s players get the large-scale projects
said it still expects to start production from the back on track. The AEC will be working closely
Coral gas field in the second half of the year. with H.E. Zacarias as he works to grow the sec-
The AEC is sensitive to the obstacles faced by tor. The minister is committed to securing and
such projects, and Ayuk and Zacarias discussed encouraging more investment in the country
the steps that can be taken to help work on and he wants to be a partner for current players,
Mozambique LNG and Rovuma LNG resume, helping them grow in Mozambique.” ™
said the statement.

Gas utilisation
With respect to local and regional gas utili-
sation, the meeting discussed the role of the
865-km Republic of Mozambique Pipeline Co.
(ROMPCO) pipeline, which connects the Pande
and Temane gas fields in southern Mozambique
to Secunda, South Africa. With South Africa
looking to rapidly expand the utilisation of nat-
ural gas in an effort to diversify its energy mix
away from coal, Mozambique’s resources will
prove critical, it said.
“Accordingly,” said the chamber, “fast-track-
ing project developments in Cabo Delgado
will not only improve domestic utilisation and
energy access but regional, with the expansion
of the ROMPCO pipeline a key driver of these
objectives.”
Although IOCs will drive larger-scale Ayuk (L) and Zacarias (second from R) met in Maputo (Image: AEC)

PROJECTS & COMPANIES
Petrofac to take over decommissioning

project at two fields offshore Mauritania

MAURITANIA UK-BASED Petrofac reported on Wednesday, abandonment (P&A)” operations.
May 18 that it had won a contract from Tullow The company also put the value of the con-
Oil (UK/Ireland) for the decommissioning of tract at more than $60mn.
seven wells in Mauritania’s offshore zone. Additionally, it reported that it was taking up
In a statement, Petrofac said it had agreed the reins on the decommissioning project from
to provide decommissioning services for wells Maersk Decom (Denmark), which has been car-
at the offshore Banda and Tiof fields. It did not rying out preparatory work since 2020. It said it
identify the wells by name, but it noted that it was doing so within the framework of a mutual
would be responsible for all “project manage- agreement under which the parties had novated
ment, engineering, planning and plugging and the contract to Petrofac.

Week 20 18•May•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P15