Sound Energy on Tuesday announced that it has entered into heads of agreement to take a 75% interest in the Sidi Moktar licences, onshore Morocco. The company under the heads of agreement will purchase PetroMaroc’s 50% operated interest on the licence following the acquisition of a 25% interest from Maghreb Petroleum at the beginning of this month. The Licences cover 2,700 km² in the...

In Nigeria, Shell has announced that it has re-opened the Trans Niger Pipeline that had been closed since late November 2015. Shell’s spokeswoman, Megan Baldino, said the Trans Niger Pipeline, which conveys Bonny Light crude oil to the export terminal had been re-opened in recent days. The pipeline stayed closed while investigations concerning an incident that occurred on November 22, 2015,...

Iran has opposed Nigeria’s call for an emergency meeting, stating that it is not yet time for such intervention. According to the country’s oil minister, Bijan Zanganeh, the group as at present has no plan of making a drastic change. “There should be an intention to make a firm decision in such a meeting; otherwise, the meeting will have negative impacts on world oil markets. The important...

AziNam has announced the conclusion of a 3D seismic survey on PEL 34 (the Guy Block), offshore Namibia. The Survey which was performed by PGS Geophysical in the Walvis Basin covered an area of about 870 km² and took more than three weeks to be completed. “Completion of the 3D survey, announced today, is another step forward for the Company and its partners. The Survey is one of four surveys...

The mining company Randgold Resources aims this year to keep output rising at its Tongon mine (North, Niellé permit) in Cote d’Ivoire which produced 300,000 ounces of gold in 2015. The executive director of the company Mark Bristow mentioned this during one of the traditional press conference that the group holds on quarterly basis. The executive believes that Cote d’Ivoire provides the...

Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority is negotiating with 10 financial institutions to acquire funding necessary for the construction of a 180 MW wind power plant. Among some of these institutions are National Bank of Egypt, Commercial International Bank, Banque Misr, Emirates NBD, International Finance Corporation, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, kfW and the African...

As it faces a severe drought which exposes 10% of its population to a dark cloud of hunger, Zimbabwe obtained a $200 million loan from African Import-Export Bank (Afreximbank) to finance its maize import, governor of central bank, John Mangudya, announced on January 22. “We obtained a $200 million loan from Afreximbank which will allow us to import maize from any part of the world,”...

In Morocco, a new trial was just opened against journalist Ali Anouzla, director of website Lakome2. This time, he is tried before the High Court of Rabat for “infringing the territorial integrity”. Next hearing is on February 9, 2016. Ali Anouzla is accused to have used the terms “Western Sahara” and “Occupied Sahara” in an interview with German daily “Bild”. According to the...

Canal+ just introduced Benin to a new way to have access to internet. This involves the local power provider, Société Béninoise d’Energie Electrique (SBEE). Both institutions signed on January 21, 2016, an agreement which plans for the exploitation of CanalBox Benin’s infrastructures. The first city to benefit from this agreement is the capital; other cities will be later connected....

According to sources cited by Dakar Actu, Senegal’s President Macky Sall demanded from the Regulatory Authority of Post and Telecommunication (ARTP) to sanction mobile operators Sonatel, Tigo and Expresso. The Head of State during the council of ministers which was held on January 20, 2026, said it was inadmissible for these firms to boycott the call for application for 4G licence. Dakar Actu...