GE Power installs 100th power plant in sub-Saharan Africa

U.S. energy techniques company GE Power installed its 100th power plant in sub-Saharan Africa through plants in Angola powered by trailer-mounted aero gas turbine technology. 

GE said it was set, together with the Ministry of Energy and Water, to achieve Angola’s target of 2000 MW additional electric power generation capacity, with about 80% of the country’s gas-powered generation running on GE technology.

Legalbrief, 26 June 2018

Mantashe halts new petroleum licences

The South African oil and gas industry is said to hold the key to the country’s energy security challenges. But the proposed amendments to regulations governing extraction have created additional uncertainty for local and international investors.  

Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe recently published a notice restricting applications for oil and gas exploration and development to allow his department to change its licensing process.

Business Day, 2 July 2018

German funding to back oil, gas exploration in Namibia

Gravionic was awarded a €376 000 grant from the German government to mount its gravity and magnetic surveying equipment on to a gyrocopter for the first time.

Gavionic is a market leader in the use of gravity and magnetic data, using the gravitometer it pioneered to enhance traditional seismic surveys with additional information for the interpretation of subsurface geological structures. The gravitometer is able to build up a composite picture of the subsurface architecture, and thereby identify those formations most likely to host hydrocarbons with greater precision.

South African start-up Gyrotek plans to use gyrocopters mounted with Gravionic’s gravity and magnetic surveying technology to carry out passive seismic surveys on Namibia-focused oil and gas explorer Africa New Energies' 22 000 km² concession in Namibia.

Engineering News, 5 July 2018

Key enviro assessment launched for SA gas and power networks

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) are undertaking a strategic environmental assessment for the development of a phased gas pipeline network and the expansion of the electricity grid infrastructure (EGI) corridors.

The Department of Environmental Affairs commissioned the research as part of Operation Phakisa’s offshore oil and gas exploration lab. The Operation Phakisa Oceans Economy Lab aims to unlock the potential of the South African coast, with 11 initiatives identified as part of the offshore oil and gas exploration critical area. 

Nine 100-km-wide corridors have been identified as key areas where gas transmission pipelines are required to meet future energy requirements.

Engineering News, 6 July 2018 

The above reflects a summary of certain news articles published during the preceding week.

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