South Africa: Western Cape High Court Blocks TotalEnergies Oil Project
A South African High Court in the Western Cape has halted an oil and gas exploration project led by TotalEnergies, citing that the environmental assessment for the project was “deeply flawed, failing to address key risks, legal requirements, and public participation,” according to a report by Bloomberg cited by Oilprice.com
The case was brought before the court by a group of environmental organizations opposing oil and gas development in South Africa and elsewhere.
The news comes hours after Bloomberg reported that the French supermajor was planning a major drilling campaign offshore South Africa, featuring up to seven wells, with drilling set to begin in 2026.
TotalEnergies holds exploration rights for blocks in four offshore areas in South Africa: Deep Water Orange Basin (DWOB), Orange Basin Deep (OBD), Outeniqua South, and Block 3B/4B, located east of DWOB.
Although the report did not specify the block where TotalEnergies planned to drill these wells, a draft environmental assessment for the drilling project was available for public comment until September 10th.
The Western Cape High Court allowed TotalEnergies to reapply for environmental approval for the drilling project that had been halted.
“We have some attractive licenses just across the border, and we have actually two or three prospects. We are working in South Africa, and the process to get all the authorizations is quite lengthy, but we hope to begin drilling South African targets in 2026,” TotalEnergies Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanné told analysts during the company’s second-quarter earnings call last month.
The company’s plans for South Africa follow a major oil discovery offshore neighboring Namibia, with estimated reserves of around 3 billion barrels.
Environmental groups have scored several victories against oil companies in court, halting projects and canceling drilling licenses on the grounds that these activities would have an adverse effect on the environment and the planet’s climate.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Saudi Wealth Fund Slashes $8 Billion In Megaproject Values Amid Oil Price Woes
The Saudi Private Investment Fund has written down $8 billion from the value of the Saudi state’s megaprojects over the past year as they struggle to move forward amid budget overruns combined with weaker oil prices.
According to a Financial Times report that cited an unnamed source, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund’s investments in projects, including the smart city Neom, at the end of 2024 were worth the equivalent of $56 billion. This was down by 12.4% from the previous year, the report said. “There were impairments to certain projects primarily relating to global economic market conditions, changes to operational plans and increases in budgeted costs,” the unnamed source told the Financial Times. Last month, the media reported that the Saudi government was reassessing the scope and timeline of the $500-billion Neom project aimed at diversifying the Saudi economy away from crude oil. Per those reports, the reassessment was launched in response to deepening financial strain across the kingdom’s Vision 2030 infrastructure program. The move comes amid mounting vendor arrears and a liquidity crunch that has prompted an urgent reallocation of energy-sector capital and personnel. It is these megaprojects that make Saudi Arabia’s breakeven oil price so high—quite a bit higher than current oil prices. Because of this price environment, economists earlier this year warned that the kingdom would have to reduce its spending plans by more than what Riyadh planned for this year, which was a 3.7% reduction in spending. “A sharper and sustained fall in the oil price would require a deeper retrenchment in government spending to contain the size of the shortfall and the building in government debt,” Monica Malik, the chief economist of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, told the Financial Times at the time. “There would also likely be some further adjustment and recalibration to the off-budget investment plans,” she added. Source: Oilprice.comThe Gambia: Gov’t Targets Universal Electricity Access By 2026
The Gambia is targeting universal electricity access by 2026 and 90% coverage by the end of 2025, Minister for Petroleum, Energy, and Mines, Nani Juwara, has revealed.
Universal Energy Access (UEA) denotes the availability of reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy services for all, irrespective of socioeconomic status or geographical location.
According to Minister Juwara, the government believes electricity drives economic activities, hence providing over D500 million from local funds to support Universal Access for the remaining parts of the country that don’t have electricity. He mentioned Lower Fulladu, Niamina East, Niamina West, Lower Saloum, and Upper Saloum.
Speaking at a Ministerial Town Hall at the SDKJ Conference Center on Friday, Minister Juwara said the government is committed to delivering reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy as a catalyst for job creation, improved livelihoods, and inclusive economic growth.
He added that the country is developing a Compact Programme for support from the World Bank, African Development Bank, and other philanthropic organizations under the M300 agenda to provide access to 300 million Africans.
“Let us continue working together to build a resilient and energy-secure Gambia,” he said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: VRA Denies Ownership Of Helicopter That Made Emergency Landing Near Nkawkaw
Ghana’s largest power generation company, Volta River Authority (VRA), has denied ownership of the helicopter that made an emergency landing near Nkawkaw bypass in the Eastern Region of Ghana on Monday, August 11, 2025. This follows media reports that a helicopter belonging to VRA with registration 9G-AFW had made an emergency landing near Nkawkaw.
The incident sparked concerns among Ghanaians following the August 6, 2025, helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight high-profile personalities, including Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed, MP for Tamale Central and Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Dr. Samuel Sarpong, National Vice Chairman, NDC, Samuel Aboagye, former parliamentary candidate, Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, pilot, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, co-pilot, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah, flight engineer.
Reacting to the report, VRA, in a statement issued by David Adomako Mensah, Director for Corporate Affairs and External Relations, unequivocally stated that the said helicopter does not belong to them, and VRA does not operate aviation services. According to VRA, their checks indicate that the helicopter in question belongs to Volta River Aviation Limited (VRAL), which is registered with the Petroleum Commission.
The Authority emphasized that its mandate is to provide affordable, reliable electricity to power economies and add value to lives. “Our mandate does not include the provision of aviation services.” VRA urged the public to disregard any such reports and advised the media to make necessary inquiries with VRA’s Corporate Affairs and External Relations Department for accurate information before publishing.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
South Africa: Eskom Moving In The Right Direction , Says Minister Ramokgopa
South Africa’s power utility company, Eskom, is “moving in the right direction” to address the load shedding challenge, according to Minister for Electricity and Energy, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. The country has not experienced load shedding since May this year.
Speaking during a media briefing to update the nation on the state of the electricity grid, Minister Ramokgopa said, “We are in a good space. We are moving in the right direction. We made the promise that we are going to address this situation, and we made the promise that we are confident of our technical ability to resolve what many thought was an intractable challenge.”
The Minister said Eskom does not “expect any major surprises in relation to the performance of the grid” for the remainder of the winter and the subsequent transition to the warmer months.
“Of course, this is a dynamic system. These are rotating units, and there could be challenges here and there. However, the grid is designed in such a manner where we can call upon the peaking plants to help us sustain the performance of the grid without relying on load shedding.”
According to the Minister, before the winter season, Eskom had warned that load shedding would be implemented if unplanned outages exceeded 13,000MW. “We are doing substantially better than that. We are beginning to see that the system is stable, resilient, and becoming more reliable as we move on.”
The Minister congratulated the over 42,000 men and women at Eskom for their hard work and dedication to resolving the country’s electricity crisis. “We are more than confident that we are getting out of the woods,” he said.
Between April and August 8, power stations have been operating with an Energy Availability Factor (EAF) that has reached 60.14%. The Minister noted that this is a significant improvement from 2023, when the EAF was substantially lower.
The Minister emphasized that Eskom has created sufficient space and headroom for the economy to grow, saying, “We are marching, and we are going to get out of the woods.”
With Eskom generating more electricity than demanded during some periods, the Minister believes that the country is on the path to stability and reliability in its electricity supply.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: NPA Warns Against Unauthorized Fuel Storage And Sales
Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has issued a stern warning to individuals and companies engaged in the illegal storage and sale of petroleum products to acquire a license for their activities or face sanctions.
In a public notice dated Tuesday, August 12, 2025, the regulator revealed that it had detected ongoing illicit operations within the petroleum downstream sector.
The NPA reminded operators that Section 11 of the National Petroleum Authority Act, 2005 (Act 691), prohibits anyone from engaging in commercial activities in the downstream industry without an NPA-issued license.
The law covers a wide range of activities, including importation, exportation, shipment, transportation, processing, refining, storage, distribution, marketing, and sale of petroleum products such as crude oil, gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas, and kerosene.
The NPA stressed that licenses are granted only to Ghanaians or foreign companies in joint ventures with Ghanaian partners, in line with the Ghanaian content and participation rules.
The regulator also directed that licenses must be displayed prominently at all business locations.
The notice warned that any unlicensed facility will be locked up or decommissioned and urged operators to seek clarification from the NPA to ensure compliance.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Ghana: Top 10 Oil Marketing Companies’ Sales Volumes Hit 1.67 Billion Litres In First Half Of 2025
Ghana’s petroleum downstream industry has witnessed a significant shift, with competition among oil marketing companies (OMCs) in Ghana becoming increasingly keen.
OMCs that previously recorded low sales volumes have gained ground, challenging some of the larger players.
For many years, Ghana Oil Company Limited, GOIL PLC, was the market leader followed by Shell and TotalEnergies.
However, few years down the line, this has changed, with Star Oil, an indigenous player, becoming the leader in terms of volumes of sales of petrol and diesel.
Star Oil is followed by GOIL PLC, Shell (Vivo Energy) and TotalEnergies.
Data sources from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), regulator for the petroleum downstream, shows that the top ten OMCs in Ghana now, based on sale volumes, are Star Oil, GOIL PLC, Shell, TotalEnergies, Zen Petroleum, and Yass Petroleum.
The rest are Benab, Dukes, Desert and Petrosol Platinum Energy Limited.
Checks by this portal revealed that there are about 197 OMCs in the West African nation.
For the first half of the year 2025, the combined volumes of petrol and diesel sales of the top ten companies hit over 1.67 billion litres.
Star Oil’s volumes for diesel and petrol for the first half of the year stood at 399,491,400 litres,
GOIL PLC – 327,264,000 litres, Shell – 249,148,700 litres, TotalEnergies – 181,570,500 litres, Zen Petroleum – 104,951,000 litres, Yass Petroleum – 103, 313,000 litres, Benab – 92,637,000 litres, Dukes – 86,920,000 litres, Desert – 69,819,900 litres and Petrosol Platinum Energy – 56,551,000 litres.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com Nigeria: TCN Hosts Power Sector Communications Team
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) recently hosted the Power Sector Communications Team (PSCT), comprising heads of corporate communications from government-owned organizations across the Nigerian power sector value chain, at its headquarters in Abuja.
Addressing the participants, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, commended the PSCT for sustaining their commitment to collaboration across the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
He emphasized that coordinated and streamlined communication is vital not only for aligning sector-wide messaging but also for fostering public trust and confidence in the industry.
Engr. Abdulaziz noted that as heads of corporate communications of government-owned companies across the power sector value chain, PSCT members bear a unique responsibility to diligently pursue a more holistic understanding of the federal government’s efforts to improve Nigeria’s power sector.
Although numerous positive developments are ongoing, such as project completions, strengthened infrastructure, and implemented reforms, these achievements may go unnoticed without effective communication.
He emphasized that the most effective way for the team to achieve its communication objectives is for every member to have a clear understanding of both their company’s activities and progress, as well as those of other team members.
Engr. Abdulaziz noted that such mutual understanding is essential for the PSCT to speak with one voice, deliver consistent messages, and present the sector’s narrative in a manner that builds public confidence.
Speaking on behalf of the PSCT, the team’s Chairman and Special Adviser to the Honorable Minister of Power on Media, Mr. Bolaji Tunji, expressed appreciation.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
South Africa: TotalEnergies Prepares Drilling Campaign For 7 Wells Offshore
TotalEnergies is proposing to drill up to 7 exploration wells offshore South Africa, in the Orange Basin straddling South African and Namibian waters in southwest Africa.
With the planned campaign offshore South Africa, which still needs environmental authorization, the French supermajor looks to tap potentially more resources in the Orange Basin after making a substantial discovery, Venus, in the same basin offshore Namibia.
“We have some attractive licenses just across the border, and we have actually two or three prospects. We are working in South Africa, and the process to get all the authorizations is quite lengthy, but we hope to begin drilling South African targets in 2026,” TotalEnergies Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanné told analysts on the Q2 earnings call last month.
The supermajor is in talks with Namibian authorities for terms to develop the Venus prospect, Pouyanné added, noting that negotiations are taking time due to Namibia’s limited experience in the oil industry.
Last month, Shell received environmental authorization to drill up to five deepwater wells to explore for oil and gas off South Africa’s west coast.
Both Shell and TotalEnergies have made significant discoveries offshore Namibia in the Orange Basin, which spans South African and Namibian waters.
The basin extends into South African waters, and the majors are now looking to tap into these areas, hoping to find substantial resources similar to those in the Namibian portion.
However, bureaucratic delays and court challenges have hindered offshore exploration in South Africa. While South Africa struggles to establish a domestic exploration and production sector, Namibia is considering additional incentives and financing options to attract international oil majors.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Liberia: Work On LEC’s 20MW Solar Project Reaches 60% Complete
Construction work on the 20 MW solar project being executed by the Liberia Electricity Company (LEC) near the 88 MW Mt. Coffee Hydropower Plant in the northeast of the country has progressed, with work reaching 60 per cent completion.
The completion of the project will significantly support Liberia’s energy capacity, particularly during the dry season, and it will contribute to the overall electricity stability efforts.
At a recent tour of the ongoing project by the management of LEC, led by the Managing Director, Mohammed M. Sherif, and his deputy for Administration, Eric Augustine Fredericks, they were satisfied with the pace of work so far.
Briefing the management of LEC at the construction site, the International Consolidated Contractors Offshore SAL Project Manager, Mr Salim Nasr, and Mr Dominic S. Gono, Deputy Project Manager of the LEC RESPITE/Project Implementation Uint, stated that the project was progressing steadily, with the installation of steel structures underway, which would be followed by the full installation of solar panels.
According to Nasr, the project has employed approximately 430 people, 30 per cent of whom are women.
He further mentioned that additional materials and equipment had recently arrived and were undergoing clearance at the Freeport of Monrovia.
The contractor’s representative, along with the RESPITE/PIU team, engaged in detailed and thought-provoking discussions with the LEC Management Team, emphasising quality assurance, implementation timelines, and alignment with the overall project scope.
The Managing Director, Mohammed Sherif, emphasised that the project commissioning date of November 2025 remained firm and non-negotiable.
He reaffirmed their commitment to delivering on government energy promises and thanked the President, Joseph N. Boakai, for his confidence in the team’s leadership during this critical period of Liberia’s development.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Israel, Egypt Reach $35 Billion Deal For Natural Gas Supply
Egypt will boost its contracted purchases of natural gas from Israel’s Leviathan field under a new agreement starting 2026, deepening the country’s dependence on imports of the fuel for the long haul.
The deal reflects Egypt’s desperate need for gas due to surging domestic demand and declining output from its own fields.
While the multiyear contract offers lower prices than those available on the short-term global market, it calls into question the North African country’s aspiration to return to being an exporter of the fuel.
Leviathan’s operators signed an agreement to send 130 billion cubic meters of gas to Egypt from 2026 to 2040, Israel’s NewMed Energy LP, which is a partner in the project, said in a statement on Thursday.
The export deal is worth about $35 billion, making it the largest in Israel’s history, it said.
The gas field already has a contract to send around 4.5 billion cubic meters a year to Egypt, which will rise in stages starting next year and could reach as much as 12.5 billion cubic meters a year by 2033. Egypt also purchased 2.5 billion cubic meters last year on the short-term market, a volume that can vary from one year to the next.
Egypt became a net gas importer in 2024 and has since been buying up large volumes of liquefied natural gas, doing deals for supplies out to 2028.
The additional Israeli flows may mean Cairo can import less LNG in the future than it would otherwise have had to do.
Importing LNG has also raised Egypt’s overall costs because the super-chilled fuel costs more than twice as much as pipeline gas from Israel.
“This is a win-win for both sides. It means tremendous savings to the Egyptian market vis-a-vis LNG imports — it’s 50% down on the current LNG import market,” NewMed CEO Yossi Abu said in an interview.
“It provides security of energy supply for many, many years to come to feed the growth of the Egyptian economy.”
While Leviathan’s gas is cheaper, the interruption of flows from Israel to Egypt because of the war with Iran in June highlighted possible vulnerabilities in the supply route.
The disruption forced Cairo to halt supplies to some industries including fertilizer producers.
Under the new agreement, gas will be delivered to buyer Blue Ocean Energy over 14 years with payments determined by a formula based on the price of Brent crude oil.
During the first phase of the deal, set to take effect next year, 20 billion cubic meters of gas will be delivered to Egypt.
The second phase, totaling around 110 billion cubic meters, requires completion of the Leviathan expansion project and the construction of a new pipeline from Israel to Egypt via Nitzana. Shares of NewMed rose as much as 6.4% in Tel Aviv, the steepest intraday gain since Feb 4.
NewMed holds a 45.34% stake in Leviathan alongside Chevron Corp. with 39.66% and Ratio Energies LP with 15%.
Source: Bloomberg
India Braces For Power Price Hikes As Nuclear Plant Undergoes Maintenance
India could see spikes in power prices in the coming weeks as supply will be constrained and procurement costs will rise with the shutdown of a unit at the country’s largest nuclear power plant for maintenance.
India has now shut the 1-GW Unit 1 at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Reuters quoted a notice by the Central Electricity Authority. The maintenance is expected to last just over two months, potentially tightening the supply of electricity in southern India and leading to higher supply costs. The Tamil Nadu Distribution and Generation Company may need to use additional supply on the power market if demand outstrips supply, a senior official at the state company told Reuters. The neighboring state of Kerala, west of Tamil Nadu, has said that its own peak-hour deficit of around 600 MW in August 2025 may worsen due to the scheduled refuelling outage of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu. “The refuelling of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant may also results in increase of electricity demand from neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu, who may enter the market, leading to further price spikes and constrained availability,” the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL) said in a petition in July with the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC). KSEBL was seeking approval to enter into short-term power procurement deals for the peak hours of August 2025 “for meeting energy shortage.” The Kerala company was seeking permission to enter short-term procurement deals with TATA Power Trading Company Limited and Greenko Energies Private Limited for the peak power procurement this month. The Kerala Electricity Regulatory Commission allowed the short-term emergency power deals, but warned that tariffs could spike. Currently, India relies on coal to meet more than half of its power demand, but it plans to boost its nuclear power-generating capacity from 9 GW now to as much as 100 GW by 2047. Source: Oilprice.comGhana: Ghana Gas To Shut Down Atuabo Gas Processing Plant For Maintenance On August 16
Ghana’s Ministry of Energy and Green Transition has approved a request by Ghana Gas for the shutdown of its Atuabo Gas Process Plant in the Western Region of Ghana for mandatory maintenance work.
The shutdown will occur on Saturday, 16th August 2025, and the maintenance is expected to be completed on Saturday, 30th August 2025.
The plant will undergo critical maintenance activities designed to enhance its operational efficiency and overall performance.
These activities include inspections, repairs, and upgrades to key equipment and systems.
The shutdown of Atuabo Gas Processing Plant will mean that there will be a shortfall of 120 mmscf of gas for power generation.
However, the Ministry, in a statement issued by Richmond Rockson Esq, Head of Communications, said the Ministry, in collaboration with key power sector players, had put in place comprehensive measures to mitigate any potential impact on power supply during the maintenance period.
“These measures include the strategic deployment of alternative fuel sources to ensure a stable and uninterrupted electricity supply across the country,” the statement pointed out.
The Ministry reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to maintaining reliable power supply at all times.
“We will keep the public informed by providing regular updates on the progress of the ongoing maintenance,” the statement concluded.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Germany Investigates Alleged Gas Market Manipulation
Germany’s federal network agency is investigating a potential manipulation on the domestic natural gas market with costs incurred for conversion of one type of natural gas to another, the regulator told Bloomberg on Monday.
Germany converts some of its gas supply as the types of gas from its biggest providers, Norway and the Netherlands, differ and need to be converted in some German regions so that the pipelines and appliances running on gas can function safely.
The costs for the conversion are being managed by market operator Trading Hub Europe GmbH (THE), which has seen “unusual nomination behavior by some balancing group managers,” it has said.
This unusual behavior of gas nominations could have been used to manipulate the market and conversion costs, according to the authorities, who are looking in particular at up to $70 million (60 million euros) in conversion costs incurred between the middle of May and the middle of June this year.
The regulator is investigating balancing managers, which are usually energy suppliers.
If the conversion costs rise, the regulator may raise the so-called conversion levy – currently at zero – in the German gas bills and this would increase energy costs for consumers.
Last week, the German government moved to abolish another levy that’s been weighing on consumer bills.
The government backed a bill to abolish the so-called gas storage levy, which was intended to cover the higher cost of gas supply after Russian deliveries via pipeline to Germany ended.
All consumers of gas, including households, have had to pay an additional levy, which goes to support Germany’s gas importing companies that were struggling with a lack of Russian gas and sky-high prices of non-Russian alternatives in 2022 and early 2023.
The German government is now ready to ditch the gas levy and estimates that the move would mean a total of $3.96 billion (3.4 billion euros) in savings on energy bills, or up to $70 per household per year.
Source: Oilprice.com