Over the past year, press freedom across the world has deteriorated greatly compared to this year. As a result, Africa passed America in Reporters without Borders’ press freedom index published on April 20, 2016. Be it in the south, north or center, America came down in the rankings. USA went down 8 places while Canada lost 10 places. Africa and Middle East however are the regions where...

The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana's Petroleum Commission (GPC), Theo Ahwireng, has said that by 2019, Ghana's gas output will increase. According to him, gas production will reach 300 million Mmscf/d, while oil production will reach between 180,000 and 200,000 bpd. He said the rise will be possible through the commencement of gas production from new fields being developed. Ahwireng added that...

In Nigeria, NIPCO Plc, has announced that it has enlarged its storage capacity to improve efforts at meeting the needs of stakeholders at all times. According to the Managing Director of NIPCO Plc, Venkataraman Venkatapathy (photo), the new storage facility has the capacity to store 34 million litres of petroleum products. He noted that the added storage, has now increased the company’s...

Shell is planning to farm-out its onshore assets in Gabon to refocus its presence in Africa, according to sources. Some sources have said that the company will launch bids worth $700 million in June for the fields, while others say that price indications are lower than Shell's expectations, so no sale may take place. “Shell continuously evaluates opportunities for our global portfolio in...

SacOil on Friday announced that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Energy Equity Resources (EER) to explore oil and gas opportunities in Nigeria. According to SacOil, it had overseen the joint venture with EER to create SacOil Energy Equity Resources (Seer), which was granted a 12-month term contract by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to acquire crude...

In Cameroon, Bowleven, has been granted a one year extension to the current Bomono exploration licence, awaiting the final granting of an Exploitation Authorization (EA). The company had presented the Bomono Exploitation Authorisation Application (BEAA) to the Cameroon authorities before the formal expiry date of the exploration licence on December 12, 2015 so as to ensure the advancement of...

A photovoltaic cell which produces energy both from solar rays and rainwater. This technology was developed by scientists from Ocean University of China and Yunnan Normal University in China. The revolutionary technology was developed by coating solar panels with a thin layer (as thin as an atom) of electron-rich graphene. “It conducts electricity and is rich in electrons that can move freely...

Investment firm headed by Saudi Yousif Othman Al Qasabi revealed it will invest in Burkina Faso’s poultry industry. According to APA, the firm plans to inject FCFA16 billion ($32 million) in the country’s local poultry. The funding will allow for the construction of an infrastructure in Kombissiri which will produce more 15,000 poultry daily and employ 1,500 people. This investment is...

“As many as 500 people may have drowned last week after a boat ferrying migrants and refugees capsized at an unknown location between Libya and Italy,” HCR said on Wednesday. Forty survivors of the tragedy from Somali, Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan, who were able to reach the shores of Greece, told the agency that 480 people might have perished in shipwreck. A boat boarding hundreds supposedly...

Tunisian minister of tourism, Salma Elloumi Rekik, cited by Reuters, said Tunisia planned to attract at least 5.5 million tourists this year. Though the figure would be about the same as in the previous year, it remains a positive performance considering tourists’ concern about visiting the country. Tourists are concerned because Tunisia suffered many terrorist attacks in 2015. It is the case...