Lekoil Withdraws Legal Action In Nigeria Over Offshore Block
Nigerian oil company Lekoil will drop legal action against the Nigerian oil ministry in relation to its acquisition of a stake in an offshore block from Afren.
As previously reported, Lekoil, which holds an unconditional 17.14 percent interest in the OPL 310 located in shallow water offshore Lagos, in 2016 bought an additional 22.86 percent interest, from Afren Oil & Gas.
The company, however, has not been able to formally complete the acquisition, as it has not received a response from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, despite seeking one in 2016.
In March 2016, Lekoil was notified by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources that the necessary due diligence exercise would be conducted that month. The due diligence exercise did not take place and had not been rescheduled by the Department of Petroleum Resources since then.
This led Lekoil to go to court to speed up the process and preserve its license rights.
Lekoil then went to court in 2019. The court in March 2019 ruled that Lekoil’s acquisition of OPL 310 stake had been “inchoate based on the fact that Consent is pending,” meaning that the 22.86 percent participating interest in OPL 310 is still held by Afren until ministerial consent is granted.
Lekoil at the time said it believed it had strong grounds to appeal against this judgment by the Federal High Court; and intended to file a notice of appeal, and a stay of execution of this judgment with the court.
Legal action dropped
Lekoil said on Tuesday that it had received a letter from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources relating to an application for an extension (re-award) to the OPL 310 license.
According to Lekoil, the Letter notes that the OPL 310 license expired on February 10, 2019, “and ownership of OPL 310 has accordingly reverted to the Government in line with Petroleum Act.”
The letter further sets out, Lekoil says, that the re-award will not be considered by the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources until such point as the suit filed by Lekoil against the minister is withdrawn by Lekoil and other parties to the action.
Furthermore, the letter says that failure by Lekoil and others to withdraw the suit within thirty (30) days of the Letter – which was dated 8 May 2019, but received by Lekoil on 13 May 2019 – forecloses any consideration of re-award to Optimum Petroleum Development Limited, Lekoil and their affiliates or subsidiaries.
“The company has decided to withdraw legal action. The company will also continue engagements with the regulator and Optimum Petroleum Development Company Limited, the operator of OPL 310, to conclude agreements and resolve all outstanding issues. Further updates will be provided as and when necessary,” Lekoil said.
ACEP Demands Immediate Review Of 13 Petroleum Agreements
Benjamin Boakye, Executive Director of ACEP
The Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP) has urged government to, as a matter of urgency, review all existing Petroleum Contracts and their deliverables to ensure that companies who are not complying with their contracts are sanctioned appropriately.
According to ACEP, out of the 15 active Petroleum Agreements, beyond the producing fields of Jubilee, TEN and Sankofa, only two companies HESS/AKER and ENI have delivered on their obligations.
Commenting on the state of contracts in the petroleum sector at the launch of ACEP’s 2019 Petroleum Contract Monitor Report in Accra, the Executive Director of ACEP Benjamin Boakye said by hijacking and not fulfilling their obligations on oil blocks in the country, some oil companies are denying Ghana the opportunity to produce more oil to meet the objective of oil production for national development.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
Sinopec, CNPC Stop Buying Iranian Oil In May
China’s two largest oil companies, CNPC and Sinopec have not ordered any Iranian oil cargoes to load this month after the expiry of the sanction waivers Washington had granted China and seven other Iranian oil importers, Reuters reports, citing unnamed sources.
The news comes despite statements from Beijing that it will not comply with the U.S. sanctions against Iran and will continue trading with the country including buying crude oil from it.
China is the biggest buyer of Iranian crude, most recently at a rate of 475,000 bpd, over the first quarter of 2019.
That amount is above the quota that the U.S. assigned to China as part of the waiver.
The Reuters sources said, however, that the refiners are worried about sanction violation penalties as both have enough exposure to the U.S. banking system to be vulnerable to such penalties.
Even so, one of the sources said, Sinopec was unwilling to breach its long-term supply contract with Tehran. This probably means the company will look for ways to circumvent sanctions.
Meanwhile, all of Iran’s oil clients are looking for alternatives, and they are finding them, but at a higher price: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the UAE were quick to assure the market they would step in and boost exports to fill the Iranian oil gap after the U.S. announced that no waivers would be renewed.
Soon after, Saudi Arabia said it would hike prices for Asian clients for June delivery shipments in response to requests for additional deliveries. Higher prices are not something that would make either China or India happy, but their options are limited.
Despite Washington’s determination to completely stop the flow of oil from Iran to foreign markets, few believe that the zero-export target is achievable, even though the sanctions have done some considerable damage to Iran’s coffers.
The U.S. special envoy for Iran Brian Hook last month estimated the losses suffered by Tehran in oil revenues at US$10 billion.
Source: Oilprice.com
Ghana’s Energy Minister, Others Visit TGS
Ghana’s Minister for Energy John-Peter Amewu, his Deputy in charge of Petroleum, Dr Mohammad Amin Adam, as well as some Ghanaian delegation to the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas, USA, visited TGS, the world’s largest geoscience data company to familiarise themselves with the operations of the company.
TGS is specialised in seismic data gathering and well data for oil exploration activities.
Additionally, it provides services to oil majors like ExxonMobil, Repsol, Shell and ENI.
TGS has been in Ghana since 2003 and has worked with Ghana’s national oil company, GNPC, to acquire 2D Seismic Data for oil exploration.
Peter Amewu and his entourage toured Operations (vessel), Processing (seismic) and Well Data Processing Departments of TGS.
Below are exclusive pictures energynewsafrica’s Michael Creg Afful, who was with the Minister, took.
Rwanda Signs Nuclear Energy Deal With Morocco
Left: Director-General of AMSSNuR Dr Khammar Mrabit. Right: RURA Director-General, Patrick Nyirishema.
Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security (AMSSNuR) to collaborate on nuclear energy developments.
A joint press statement explained that the MoU is to facilitate the collaboration between the RURA and AMSSNuR in the areas of nuclear and radiological safety and security regulations, radioactive waste management and spent fuel management, emergency preparedness and response, capacity building and facilitation of attachment of the staff and to organise and host national and international meetings.
Speaking after the signing of the cooperation agreement, the Director General of AMSSNuR Dr Khammar Mrabit stated that nuclear safety industry encompasses more opportunities for strengthening the signed cooperation.
“There is growing use of ionizing radiation in medical practices in the two countries, and here we can share a lot of experience and exchange information so as to improve the safety of the patients, the safety of the environment and the entire society in general,” said Dr Mrabit.
He added: “We in our field of radiation safety and security we shall do our part together and we are committed to share with you what we have and what we did; and to learn from you.”
Cooperation nuclear energy use
It is also noted that the signed agreement for bilateral cooperation stresses the mutual interest for both RURA and AMSSNuR in pursuing cooperation in the area of nuclear energy use for peaceful purposes.
RURA Director-General, Patrick Nyirishema commented: “There is a lot to learn from their [AMSSNuR] experience in terms of building the capabilities in the country and at an institutional level.
“We can also work with other regulators across Africa and strengthen this field of radiation protection and nuclear security within Africa and have a bigger voice on the global level.”
Uganda Puts Five Oil Blocks Up For Licensing
Uganda has put five new blocks on offer for its second licensing round in the Albertine Graben, according to an announcement by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ing. Irene Muloni at the East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition, Kenya.
Muloni said Uganda was expecting many potential exploration companies for the blocks given that the current price of crude oil was high and very attractive for investment. She added the cost of finding oil in Uganda has been very low at less than a dollar per barrel as compared to the world average of two dollars per barrel. “I am very pleased to announce that my five new brides are ready. They are very attractive and easy to find. I invite investors to come and take them up,” Muloni said.
The Minister went on to say that the investment climate in Uganda was very conducive for investment singling out peace and security, infrastructure development, tax incentives and a good human resource made of youthful and educated population.
The five blocks are; Avivi with an area coverage of 1026 sq km, Omuka (750 sq km), Kasuruban (1,285 sq km), Turaco (637 sq km) and Ngaji (1,230 sq km).
“Following this announcement, the Ministry will issue a Request for Qualification (RFQ) inviting interested firms and/or consortia to submit applications within a period of six months. Upon evaluation of the applications the successful firms/consortia will be issued with bidding documents comprising the model production sharing agreement and data sale regulations among others,” Muloni added.
The bidding process will take five months and result in the negotiations and signing of production sharing agreements between Government and the successful bidders. The licensing round is expected to be concluded with the award of Petroleum Exploration Licenses to successful firms by December 2020.
Source: petroleumafrica.com
ENI Discovers New Oil Field
The Italian oil giant, Eni, has made a significant gas and condensate discovery in the Cape Three Points Block Four (CTP-Block 4) offshore Ghana in the Western Region.
The well, drilled on the Akoma exploration prospect, proved an estimated volume of between 550 and 650 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas and 18 to 20 million barrels (mmbbl) of condensate.
The discovery has further additional upside for gas and oil that require further drilling to be confirmed.
Eni said the Akoma-1X was the first well drilled in CTP-Block 4 and represented a discovery of potentially commercial nature due to its proximity to the existing infrastructure.
The discovery could be put in production with a subsea tie to the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel with the aim to extend its production plateau.
In a statement, Eni said the exploration well Akoma-1X was located approximately 50 kilometres off the coast and about 12 kilometres north-west of the Sankofa hub, where current production on the FPSO John Agyekum Kufuor is currently ongoing.
Benefits
With the discovery, the country stands the chance of realising its dream of hitting half a million barrels of oil within the shortest possible time and also becoming a nation that can produce enough gas for sustainable power generation in the country for development and industrialisation.
The discovery was a historic moment for some Ghanaian crew on board, who worked hand in hand with the team, leading to the discovery for the country.
It is expected that by 2023, Ghana’s daily oil production should go beyond 500,000 barrels of oil, which is good news for the country and its claim to remain dominant within the West African sub-region.
The drill ship
The well was drilled by the Maersk Voyager drilling ship in a water depth of 350 metres and reached a total depth of 3,790 metres.
The Akoma-1X well also proved a single gas and condensate column in a 20m thick sandstone reservoir interval, which contains the oil in the earth’s bowel with good petro-physical properties or porosity of the reservoir and with hydrocarbon.
The campaign was carried out by the joint venture of CTP-Block 4, formed by Eni Ghana with 42.469 per cent as the lead operator.
Vitol Upstream Tano holds 33.975 per cent, while the national oil company, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has 10 per cent interest for the country.
Other members of the partnership are Woodfields Upstream, with 9.556 per cent, and GNPC’s subsidiary, Explorco, four per cent.
Background
ENI indicated that Ghana remained the key country for its organic growth since its presence in the country in 2009 and currently accounted for a gross production of about 60,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, which is above 200,000 barrels per day.
Eni is currently present in the country’s upstream sector with an integrated oil and gas development project in the OCTP block, with a 44.44 per cent share.
The OCTP project start-up was achieved in two and a half years, three months earlier than scheduled and with a record time-to-market. Production was carried out via an FPSO.
The development activities progressed and in 2017 production wells planned were drilled and linked to the production facility, achieving the planned peak production a year earlier than scheduled.
Non-associated
The project includes the transportation of non-associated gas to the onshore facilities to be processed and linked to the country’s national grid, supplying approximately 180mmcf/d in 2018.
The OCTP project is the only non-associated gas development project in deep water entirely dedicated to the domestic market in sub-Saharan Africa.
This project will ensure at least 15 years of reliable gas supply at an affordable price, significantly supporting access to energy and economic development of the country.
The current discovery adds up to the company’s quest to ensure its long stay in the country, build reserves and ensure sustainable operations.
Source:Graphic.com.gh
Chevron Walks Away From $33 Billion Deal to Buy Anadarko
Chevron Corp. is abandoning its $33 billion offer for oil driller Anadarko Petroleum Corp., the culmination of a month-long bidding war in which Occidental Petroleum Corp. prevailed over a rival five times its size.
The most ambitious foray of Chevron Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth’s tenure ended Thursday after the world’s third-largest oil explorer by market value elected not to sweeten an offer that fell out of favor with Anadarko directors.
Chevron said it will collect a $1 billion termination fee and plans to increase its share buybacks by 25%.
Anadarko’s board embraced the Occidental proposal as superior on May 6, giving Chevron up to four days to come back with a revised offer.
Anadarko was looking for Chevron to match or exceed Occidental’s proposal, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday. However, Chevron indicated that topping its rival’s offer was too risky.
“Winning in any environment doesn’t mean winning at any cost,” Wirth said in a statement. “Cost and capital discipline always matter, and we will not dilute our returns or erode value for our shareholders for the sake of doing a deal.”
Chevron’s departure leaves Occidental free to proceed with its $38 billion takeover of Anadarko that will double the acquirer’s daily output to the equivalent of more than 1.3 million barrels, on par with OPEC members Angola or Libya. The outcome also vindicates Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub, whose opening appeals to Anadarko were pilloried by prominent investors and analysts as an overreach.
Chevron is entitled to the $1 billion breakup fee under the terms of its April 12 merger agreement, which it said it now expects Anadarko to terminate.
An Anadarko spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. “We look forward to signing a merger agreement with Anadarko and realizing value for our stakeholders as soon as possible,” Occidental said in a statement.
“Chevron did exactly the right thing and walked away,” Mizuho Securities analyst Paul Sankey said in a note. He added that some Mizuho clients “hated that the last decently performing sector in energy — mega-cap oil — was potentially losing its capital discipline.”
Chevron rose 3.2% to $121.24 a share at 9:38 a.m. in New York. Occidental fell as much as 6.8%, its biggest intraday decline since November 2016. Anadarko dropped 2.8% to $73.77.
Since the bidding war erupted publicly last month, Occidental’s smaller size and financial resources relative to Chevron handicapped its pursuit of Anadarko. Houston-based Occidental’s stock was seen as a less-robust currency than Chevron’s, a defect Hollub cured by lining up support from Warren Buffett and Total SA, and upping the cash portion of her bid to 78% from 50%.
For Chevron’s Wirth, the focus now shifts to what to do with the company’s $74 billion pile of cash and unused shares.
One of the key attractions of Anadarko was its presence in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, which has evolved into the world’s most prolific oil field. Replete with oil-exploration companies, the region may represent Chevron’s richest hunting ground.
Source: Blomberg
Ghana: Energy Minister Defends Renegotiated AGM Contract
Energy Minister, Hon. John-Peter Amewu
Ghana’s Minister for Energy, John-Peter Amewu has mounted spirited defence for government’s decision to renegotiate a Petroleum Agreement (PA) the previous administration signed with AGM, a company affiliated to Aker Energy, a Norwegian Oil firm.
He held that the renegotiated Petroleum Agreement was done in the best interest of the West African country.
The Minister, and for that matter the President Akufo-Addo-led administration has come under fire for renegotiating the AGM contract.
Policy Think Tank, IMANI -Africa, Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), as well as a former CEO of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation Alex Mould, have criticised government for the renegotiated PA, which, they say, is bad compared to the previous one.
However, addressing investors at the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas, USA, Energy Minister John-Peter Amewu defended the government’s decision.
“The agenda for government for undertaking the current renegotiation of the AGM block is not to deny Ghanaians, the shareholders, the resource owners of what they ought to be due. We believe sincerely that 100% of nothing compared to 5% of 10. It is better to have 5% of 10,” he argued.
“Resources institute do not own any value unless they are brought to the world. It is clear that the current renegotiation that the government has achieved through the AGM block is something that will benefit all Ghanaians,” he added.
Reinforcing his message to Ghanaians, Mr Amewu said: “I want to use this opportunity to let everybody here understand that, the doubting Thomases that are of the view that, that era of sticking to the old gang that Petroleum Agreement will never be renegotiated, is gone.
“He was of the view that if Ghana should attract investors, then there was the need for the country to be dynamic and not hold on to the old way of doing things, which either drive away investors or scare them from coming.
“Gone are the days when companies will only work in challenging areas, and where there is conflict with the intention of increasing their returns on investments. Current dynamics and integrated companies are looking for peaceful environment, good governance and rule of law,” he stated.
Licensing Round
Touching on Ghana’s Licensing Round Bid for the five oil blocks, Mr Amewu said the ministry received 67 applications from more than 14 countries.
Amewu, who described the licensing round as the most competitive within the sub-region, said the interest in the licensing round clearly demonstrates the good governance, transparency, rule of law that the current government is practising.
“We’re currently going through our first ever licensing round to award Exploration and Production Rights, and soon after this, we will commence the second licensing round during which companies will be invited to express interest for the blocks that will be auctioned,” he said.
Capacity Building
The Government of Ghana, the Minister said, wants to take the oil and gas industry to a level where Ghanaian companies will be rendering to exploration companies in Ghana and beyond, all manner of services; be it equipment supplies, FPSO manufacturing, catering services et al.
“We want to bridge the gap between the oil and gas industry and the tertiary institutions and ensure that these institutions are well-equipped to churn out professionals who are both practically and theoretically competent.
He, therefore, charged the Petroleum Commission to collaborate with the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to create internship and research opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the oil companies.
He also appealed to International Oil Companies to help establish well-equipped laboratories in the universities, so that undergraduate and postgraduate students can familiarise themselves with the equipment and software being used in the oil and gas industry.
“This way, they can become readily employable and will require only minimal training when they come out of school and are employed by you (IOCs),” he said.
Invitation To Investors
The Minister made a passionate appeal to Ghanaians and international businesses to collaborate and explore the investment opportunities in Ghana’s oil and gas sector.
“I appeal to those in the diaspora to come home and invest in our oil and gas sector, for it is through investment that we can build local capacity for Ghana’s Oil and Gas sector.”
Mozambique to make a big announcement around LNG in June
Following a meeting on Tuesday, the President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Chairman and CEO, Al Walker, announced plans for Mozambique LNG to make an important announcement during a celebratory event on June 18, 2019 in Maputo.
In a statement, Anadarko said that it was also noted that all issues under negotiation between the Government of Mozambique and Anadarko have been satisfactorily resolved.
“We expect June 18 will become a historic day in Mozambique as we announce that one of the most important and transformational projects in our country’s history is ready to advance to the next stage,” said President Nyusi.
“We recognise Anadarko’s continued commitment to moving this project forward to becoming a reality.”
“With commitments for financing in place, off-take secured, and all other issues under negotiation successfully addressed, we are excited to take the next step with the expected announcement of a Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Mozambique LNG project on June 18,” said Walker.
“Mozambique LNG is among the most significant projects that our company or any other has undertaken, given the scale of the project, size of the resource, and the potential long-term transformational benefits it represents for Mozambique.
“We are grateful for the continued support of the people and government of Mozambique, our co-venturers, and the thousands of men and women working in the Cabo Delgado region to develop this exciting project. We look forward to celebrating the official sanctioning of Mozambique LNG on June 18.”
Ghana: Energy Minister Defends Renegotiated AGM Contract
Energy Minister, Hon. John-Peter Amewu
Ghana’s Minister for Energy, John-Peter Amewu has mounted spirited defence for government’s decision to renegotiate a Petroleum Agreement (PA) the previous administration signed with AGM, a company affiliated to Aker Energy, a Norwegian Oil firm.
He held that the renegotiated Petroleum Agreement was done in the best interest of the West African country.
The Minister, and for that matter the President Akufo-Addo-led administration has come under fire for renegotiating the AGM contract.
Policy Think Tank, IMANI -Africa, Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), as well as a former CEO of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation Alex Mould, have criticised government for the renegotiated PA, which, they say, is bad compared to the previous one.
However, addressing investors at the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas, USA, Energy Minister John-Peter Amewu defended the government’s decision.
“The agenda for government for undertaking the current renegotiation of the AGM block is not to deny Ghanaians, the shareholders, the resource owners of what they ought to be due. We believe sincerely that 100% of nothing compared to 5% of 10. It is better to have 5% of 10,” he argued.
“Resources institute do not own any value unless they are brought to the world. It is clear that the current renegotiation that the government has achieved through the AGM block is something that will benefit all Ghanaians,” he added.
Reinforcing his message to Ghanaians, Mr Amewu said: “I want to use this opportunity to let everybody here understand that, the doubting Thomases that are of the view that, that era of sticking to the old gang that Petroleum Agreement will never be renegotiated, is gone.
“He was of the view that if Ghana should attract investors, then there was the need for the country to be dynamic and not hold on to the old way of doing things, which either drive away investors or scare them from coming.
“Gone are the days when companies will only work in challenging areas, and where there is conflict with the intention of increasing their returns on investments. Current dynamics and integrated companies are looking for peaceful environment, good governance and rule of law,” he stated.
Licensing Round
Touching on Ghana’s Licensing Round Bid for the five oil blocks, Mr Amewu said the ministry received 67 applications from more than 14 countries.
Amewu, who described the licensing round as the most competitive within the sub-region, said the interest in the licensing round clearly demonstrates the good governance, transparency, rule of law that the current government is practising.
“We’re currently going through our first ever licensing round to award Exploration and Production Rights, and soon after this, we will commence the second licensing round during which companies will be invited to express interest for the blocks that will be auctioned,” he said.
Capacity Building
The Government of Ghana, the Minister said, wants to take the oil and gas industry to a level where Ghanaian companies will be rendering to exploration companies in Ghana and beyond, all manner of services; be it equipment supplies, FPSO manufacturing, catering services et al.
“We want to bridge the gap between the oil and gas industry and the tertiary institutions and ensure that these institutions are well-equipped to churn out professionals who are both practically and theoretically competent.
He, therefore, charged the Petroleum Commission to collaborate with the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to create internship and research opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the oil companies.
He also appealed to International Oil Companies to help establish well-equipped laboratories in the universities, so that undergraduate and postgraduate students can familiarise themselves with the equipment and software being used in the oil and gas industry.
“This way, they can become readily employable and will require only minimal training when they come out of school and are employed by you (IOCs),” he said.
Invitation To Investors
The Minister made a passionate appeal to Ghanaians and international businesses to collaborate and explore the investment opportunities in Ghana’s oil and gas sector.
“I appeal to those in the diaspora to come home and invest in our oil and gas sector, for it is through investment that we can build local capacity for Ghana’s Oil and Gas sector.”
US Threatens Iran With Show Of Force
The United States and Iran continued to trade barbs on Wednesday over the Iranian nuclear deal and Iranian oil exports as the United States stands firm on its position that it will succeed in reducing Iranian oil exports to zero, according to a US briefing reported by Asharq Al-Awsat.
The US responded to flare ups in tensions with Iran with Iran’s Special Envoy Brian Hook vowing that any attack against the United States or its allies would be met with a show of force.
Hook assured an unsettled market that it had already factored in Iran’s oil exports falling to zero. Oil prices were up in afternoon trading, with WTI up over 1 percent on the day.
The strong words from the United States came after Iran announced it would no longer be curbing its nuclear program, threatening to go even further, saying it would resume enriching uranium at a higher level if the EU fails to live up to its end of the agreement by continuing Iranian oil purchases.
“In order to secure its rights and restore balance to the demands of the parties to the agreement, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no option other than “reducing commitments”,” Rouhani said in a statement.
The EU is finding itself between the proverbial rock and hard place as it struggles to not run afoul of US sanctions against a major oil supplier. Reaffirming its commitment to the sanctions, the United States said it would quickly respond to any sanctions violation by the EU.
US Special Assist to the President and Senior Director for Weapons of Mass Destruction added on Wednesday that Iran should expect more sanctions “very soon”.
The United States had announced on Tuesday that it was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region “to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime.”
Source: Oilprice.com
Exclusive Photos From Ghana’s Day At OTC, Texas, USA
EnergyNewsAfrica.com brings you some of the photos captured by our camera at the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas, USA.
These exclusive pictures were taken at a special event dubbed ‘Ghana’s Day’, which had a panel discussion focusing on “Ghana’s Upstream Sector, Policy, Regulations, Local Content, Local Capability and Investment Case for Ghana’s Upstream Sector.”
Niger Fuel Tanker Explosion Kills 58 People
Fifty-eight people died in Nigers capital Niamey after an overturned tanker truck exploded as crowds collected spilt fuel, authorities and witnesses said Monday.
The blast on the RN1 route near the international airport Sunday night left the burnt trucks wreckage, motorbikes and debris scattered over the road.
Nearby houses were damaged by fire.
The explosion left 58 dead, the presidency said in a statement.
“Motorbike riders and people were all around the truck when it exploded all of a sudden,” a local trader said. “I saw at least 40 dead.”
BURST INTO FLAMES
Witnesses said people were trying to collect petrol leaking from the truck, which had overturned on railway tracks, when the explosion happened.
“Just before midnight I went out and I saw the truck overturned. People came from everywhere to take gas, then I saw fire on its side and everything burst into flames,” a college student told AFP.
Nigerian President Mahamadou Issoufou visited some of the injured in hospital in the capital.
Prime Minister Brigi Rafini and the Interior Minister Mohamed Bazoum inspected the site of the explosion, describing a scene of “real drama.”
MOTORCYCLE ENGINE
Bazoum said the truck had tipped over while trying to park. Crowds and motorbike drivers rushed to the scene to take fuel from the tanker.
“Unfortunately one of the motorcyclists did not switch off their engine. There must have been a spark that caused a massive blast,” the minister said.
He said 37 people were injured. Most were in a very serious condition in hospital with burns.
Niger, a poor West African country, has tried to stamp out fuel smuggling from neighbouring Nigeria.
Nigeria, a major oil producer, has seen similar deadly accidents and explosions in the past when people try to steal fuel from oil pipelines.
More than 100 people died in an explosion in southern Nigeria in 2012.