Page 16 - AfrOil Week 01 2023

AfrOil NEWS IN BRIEF AfrOil

On behalf of the Board and Management of the four children in the Christmas eve tragedy. The As previously announced, the well will be
Commission, I heartily congratulate all success- Boksburg railway bridge that was damaged drilled to 1,500 metres TVD below ground level
ful applicants and enjoin them to follow through remains a no-go area as investigations are con- and is expected to take between 12 to 15 Days to
with the subsequent stages of the Programme tinuing. The Gauteng provincial government complete. The primary gas target is anticipated to
towards becoming a Permit Holder/Flare has estimated that damages at the hospital would be reached within 10 days of the commencement
Gas Buyer in line with the applicable statutes. exceed ZAR18mn ($1mn). of drilling, subject to no unexpected operational
All Qualified Applicants shall receive further The Ekurhuleni Metro Council says it is con- delays. The possible presence of high-pressure
communications via their respective contact tinuing to engage with families of the victims gas in the primary target has been prudently
addresses and the NGFCP portal (ngfcp.nuprc. of the explosion as many are preparing to bury allowed for in the well design and for the oper-
gov.ng) accordingly. their loved ones. Some families have already ational procedures to be adopted whilst drilling
NUPRC, 06 January 2023 received support with burials, and others are into this potential gas reservoir.
receiving psychological counselling. Predator Oil & Gas Holdings, 30 December
South Africa: death toll from later released without appearing in court after it 2022
The 32-year-old driver was arrested but was
Christmas Eve Boksburg was stated that there was insufficient evidence BW Offshore signs short-
against him, writes News24.
gas tanker blast up to 37 bna/IntelliNews, 06 January 2023 term contract extension for

South Africans are mourning the death of 37 Abo FPSO
people who succumbed to their injuries follow- PROJECTS & COMPANIES
ing a gas tanker explosion on Christmas Eve in BW Offshore has signed a short-term extension
the city of Boksburg, in the Ekurhuleni Metro- Predator preparing to drill for the Abo FPSO with Nigerian Agip Explora-
politan Municipality in Gauteng province. tion, a subsidiary of Eni, until January 14, 2023,
Police notified the provincial government MOU-2 well in Guercif to allow time to finalise terms for a further con-
about the additional deaths and the new discov- tract extension.
ery of body parts at the scene of the explosion on onshore northern Morocco BW Offshore, 02 January 2023
January 4, News24 reports.
The gas tanker carrying LPG exploded when Predator Oil & Gas, the Jersey based Oil and Somalia’s Ministry of
it became stuck under a railway bridge in Boks- Gas Company with near-term gas operations
burg near the Tambo Memorial Hospital. The focused on Morocco, has announced that the Petroleum and Mineral
blast severely damaged the roof of the emergency Star Valley Rig 101 is now on the MOU-2 well
department at the hospital, while also reportedly location in the Guercif Licence, onshore north- Resources condemns Genel
destroying houses and cars. ern Morocco. Final preparations are being made
The driver climbed out of the truck and to commence drilling. Energy’s illegal activities
escaped unharmed prior to the explosion in A further update will be given, which is sub-
which about 50 people were injured, 35 of whom ject to partner approval, when MOU-2 reaches Somalia’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral
were hospital employees. Twelve healthcare its intended pre-drill total depth of 1,500 metres Resources strongly condemns Genel Energy’s
workers were among the 37 who died. TVD KB and prior to the commencement of illegal activities in Somalia and warns the poten-
According to SABC News, one family lost wireline logging operations. tial risks to its investment and legal ramifications
of carrying out illegal exploration in Somalia.
Somalia’s government has been monitoring
what it calls “illegal petroleum operations in the
northern regions of Somalia,” by Genel Energy
and has “rejected Genel Energy’s claim to own
petroleum rights in Somalia’s northern regions,”
known as Somaliland.
The Federal Government of Somalia said it
“categorically rejects Genel Energy’s claim to
own petroleum rights in Somalia’s northern
regions and calls upon Genel Energy to cease its
illegal claim to own petroleum rights and to con-
duct petroleum operations in violation of Soma-
lia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity.”
Announcing an update on its operations
in Somaliland on November 3, 2022, Genel
reported the following: Following the successful
farm-out in December 2021, preparation contin-
ues for the drilling of a well on the highly pro-
spective SL10B13 block (51% working interest
and operator).
Somalia Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral
Resources, 28 December 2022

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