Page 14 - AfrOil Week 42 2022
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     AfrOil                                      NEWS IN BRIEF                                              AfrOil
                    Now including selections from NewsBase’s partner service
       INVESTMENT                             The group agreed, however, that it would  extension of the Ceiba Field and Okume Com-
                                           reconvene in the future if a financing gap were  plex PSC to end 2040 we look forward to work-
       ECOWAS to lend $250mn               identified.                          ing with our aligned partners and stakeholders
                                              “The creditor committee examined the latest  to unlock the full potential of our enlarged asset
       for oil and gas, energy,            developments on the macroeconomic and finan-  base in Equatorial Guinea.”
                                                                                  Block S covers a surface area of 1,245 square
                                           cial situation of Chad and noted that no debt
       road infrastructure and             relief from official bilateral creditors is currently  km with water depths ranging from 450 metres
                                           needed given the surge in oil prices,” a Paris Club  to 1,500 metres and is covered by high quality
       agriculture projects in             statement said.                      3D seismic. The block surrounds the producing
                                                                                Ceiba Field and is adjacent to the producing
                                              Chad joined the circle of African oil-produc-
       five West African states            ing and exporting countries in the early 2000s.  Okume Complex, which is operated by Trident
                                           The majority of its crude is derived from the  Energy and where Panoro holds a 14.25%-non
       The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Devel-  Doba Basin, with major operators, including  operated participating interest, which accounted
       opment (EBID) board has approved the alloca-  ExxonMobil (US) and Shell (UK), continuing to  for 4,714 bpd of oil net working interest produc-
       tion of $250mn in support for five member states  drive progress.        tion for Panoro during the first half of the year,
       to boost the oil and gas, energy, road infrastruc-  However, despite estimated reserves of 1bn  around 60% of Panoro’s total output.
       ture and agricultural sectors of West Africa.  barrels of oil, production in Chad has been slow,   Past exploration activities on Block S have
         The beneficiary countries are Burkina Faso,  with 2022 levels estimated at 68,000 barrels per  tested and proven the necessary geological play
       Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone, EBID  day (bpd), down from 109,000 bpd the previous  elements which has led to an extensive prospect
       President and Board Chairman Dr. George  year.                           inventory being identified within tie-back dis-
       Agyekum Donkor announced, without provid-  According to Reuters, the deal discussed  tance to the Ceiba Field and Okume Complex
       ing details of how the funds would be allocated.  between the Paris Club and Chad would see  facilities. One exploration well is planned to be
         The approvals are part of the intensified  China, France, India and Saudi Arabia offer debt  drilled during 2024. Panoro’s farm-in is subject
       efforts by EBID, a development finance insti-  relief while another major creditor, Glencore,  to customary approvals.
       tution, to invest in key sectors to accelerate the  has also agreed to restructure the debts owed.  Panoro Energy, October 20 2020
       post-COVID pandemic recovery and mitigate   Ethiopia and Zambia have also applied for
       the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on mem-  debt relief, but progress has not yet been made   Afentra provides update
       bers of ECOWAS (the Economic Community of  on an agreement.
       West African States).               bna/IntelliNews, October 14 2022     on Angolan acquisitions
         Donkor noted that current market condi-
       tions have compelled investors to seek a pre-  Panoro Energy to farm     Afentra provides the following update regarding
       mium on investments in Sub-Saharan Africa,                               the previously announced Angolan acquisitions.
       thereby increasing the cost of capital. That, in   in to Block S offshore   Sonangol Acquisition: On April 28, 2022,
       turn, he said, has resulted in dampening eco-                            the Company announced that its wholly-owned
       nomic growth, widespread balance of payments   Equatorial Guinea         subsidiary, Afentra (Angola) Ltd, had signed a
       deficits, unfavourable terms of trade, depletion                         sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Sonan-
       of central bank international reserves, fiscal defi-  Panoro Energy has agreed to farm in to the Kos-  gol Pesquisa e Producao SA to purchase non-op-
       cits and debt distress.             mos Energy operated Block S offshore Equato-  erating interests in Block 3/05 and Block 23,
         Therefore, EBID must deepen its financial  rial Guinea for a 12% non-operated participating  offshore Angola.
       intermediation in all the critical sectors of the  interest. The current joint venture partnership at   As set out in the admission document pub-
       member states to assist them in recovering, he  Block S is Kosmos Energy (40% and operator),  lished by the Company on August 10, 2022,
       said.                               Trident Energy (40%) and GEPetrol (20%). Pan-  the Sonangol Acquisition is subject to a num-
       bna/IntelliNews, October 14 2022    oro’s agreed farm-in is on the basis that it will  ber of conditions precedent (CPs), including
                                           acquire a 6% participating interest from each of  the receipt of governmental approvals and the
       Paris Club rejects debt             Kosmos Energy and Trident Energy, respectively  extension of the Block 3/05 Production Sharing
                                           (12% in aggregate).
                                                                                Agreement until at least December 31, 2040.
       relief for Chad, citing             “We are excited to farm in to Block S, which  all relevant parties and expects to finalise the
                                                                                  The Company remains in discussion with
                                              John Hamilton, CEO of Panoro, commented:
       surging oil prices                  significantly expands our acreage position off-  Sonangol Acquisition in Q4-2022, as previously
                                           shore Equatorial Guinea and our exposure to  guided. Whilst we remain on track to achieve
       Due to the surge in oil prices, Chad does not  near field exploration potential. The block is  this timing, satisfaction of the CPs is antici-
       currently need debt relief, according to the  in the immediate vicinity of our producing  pated to occur after the current long-stop date
       Paris Club, a group of major creditor countries  Ceiba Field and Okume Complex which have  of October 20, 2022. The Company are therefore
       focused on finding sustainable solutions to diffi-  to date produced around 465mn barrels of oil,  pleased to announce it has reached an agreement
       culties experienced by debtor countries.  and where we are also partnered with Kosmos  with Sonangol to extend the long-stop date to 31
         Under an initiative established in 2020 by  Energy, Trident Energy and GEPetrol. In line  December 2022 in order to facilitate satisfaction
       the G20 and the Paris Club, governments can  with our infrastructure led exploration strategy,  of the CPs in Q4-2022.
       now request a debt-restructuring deal with their  Panoro will have modest financial exposure to   INA Acquisition: On July 19, 2022, the Com-
       creditors. Following an application by Chad, it  a large inventory of prospects and leads within  pany announced that its wholly-owned subsid-
       was decided that the landlocked country at the  tie back distance of existing production facilities  iary, Afentra (Angola) Ltd, had signed an SPA
       crossroads of North and Central Africa does not  offering scope to leverage synergies in the event  with INA (Industrija Nafte) to purchase interests
       currently need debt relief.         of a commercial discovery. Following the recent  in Block 3/05 and Block 3/05A, offshore Angola.
       P14                                      www. NEWSBASE .com                        Week 42   20•October•2022





