Mineral commodities > Aluminium - Antimony - Chrome - Coal - Cobalt - Copper - Diamond - Gold - Graphite - Iridium - Iron Ore - Lead - Lithium - Manganese - Molybdenum - Nickel - Oil and Natural Gas - Palladium - Potash and Phosphates - Platinum - Rare Earth Elements - Rhodium - Ruthenium - Silver - Tantalum - Tin - Titanium - Tungsten - Uranium - Vanadium - Zinc


Oil and Natural Gas


In the oil town of Afiesere, in the Warri North district of the Niger Delta, local Urohobo people bake krokpo-garri, or tapioca, in the heat of a gas flare.

Despite four years of high prices, a new report by the International Energy Agency in July, 2007, predicted that world oil demand would rise faster than previously expected over the next five years while production slips, threatening a supply crunch. In its report, the International Energy Agency, which advises 26 industrialized countries, said that global oil demand would rise by an average 2.2 percent a year from 2007 to 2012, up from a forecast in February 2007 of 2 percent annually from 2006 to 2011. Global production averaged 85,24 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2006, up only 0,9% from 84,48 million barrels in 2005. Global demand is expected to rise 1,8% to 85,8 million barrels a day in 2007, from a revised 84,3 million bpd in 2006. The world may need 100 million bpd by 2010 to meet demand. By 2020, it increases to 110 million bpd, and by 2030, 116 million bpd.
The U.S. was importing 7% of its oil in 1929. Today it is 70%. In 2005, the U.S. accounted for 25% of the world’s oil consumption at 20 million bpd, yet it only controls 5% of the world's reserves. The Energy Information Administration predicts that U.S. consumption will continue to increase and will reach 27,6 million barrels per day in 2030.
China is the world’s second biggest importer of oil behind the U.S at about 7,2 million bpd in 2006. In 2005, the country consumed 6,9 million barrels daily, a 100% increase over its consumption level 10 years before. China aims to produce 193 million tonnes of oil and 92 billion cubic metres of natural gas by 2010. The country produced 184 million tonnes of crude oil and 59 billion cubic metres of gas in 2006. The Energy Information Administration has raised its forecast for oil product demand growth in China for this year to 6,8%, up from the 6,1% growth it had previously estimated, representing demand of 7,64 million bpd in 2007. China's energy consumption will increase to 15 million barrels per day by 2030, according to U.S. government estimates.
Using the data above, at a population of about 300 million, each U.S. citizen consumes 0,067 bpd versus 0,0055 bpd in China with 1,31 billion people. If China were to match its consumption per person to the U.S., it would need 88 million bpd. Just 0,016 bpd per person puts China with the U.S. at 20 million barrels.
Of the 1,1 trillion barrels of reserves worldwide, about 80% are controlled by OPEC countries, with the U.S. holding only 2%. The Middle East holds 62%.
Iraq has potential oil reserves in excess of 215 billion barrels and proven reserves in the region of 115 billion barrels, which is close to that of Saudi Arabia. Its exploration and development costs are amongst the lowest in the Middle East.
[Iraq's oil production has historically not matched its oil reserve capability, and maximum production in any one year has never exceeded 3,5 million barrels per day (bpd), despite an exploration and development history stretching over nearly eight decades.
According to the International Energy Agency, Iraq, a member of OPEC, currently produces about 2,2 million bpd, with hopes of moving towards production of 4 million bpd. (Source: Resource Investor)

BP's view of the oil industry in 2010:



Spike seen in African offshore disputes

Oil and Gas Map

Africa Oil and Gas Review 2014


Oil and Natural Gas in Africa
China is now the second largest global importer of oil, while Africa supplies close to 28% of China's crude oil requirements.
   
Oil and Gas Exploration in East Africa: A Brief History - PeterPurcell, P&R Geological Consultants Pty Ltd.

Eddy Belle: Promoting the Seychelles - Jane Whaley

Duncan Clarke: Economics and the Oil Game in Africa - Jane Whaley

Takoradi: Ghana’s Oil City - Nikki Jones


East Africa. Rays of a New Dawn - Ken White


East Africa – Riding High - Bimbola Kolawole


Egypt Déjà Vu - Thina Margarethe Saltvelt, Ph.D


A Shadow of its Former Self - Nikki Jones


South Sudan: “The Oil is Now Flowing” - Scarlett Barclay


Africa Spearheads New Acreage Drive - GEO ExPro 

The East African Rift System – A View from Space - Michael Hall and John Diggens; Astrium Geo-Information Services

Click HERE for an overview (MBendi)
Click HERE for information on PetroView® North Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa-PetroView® is a desktop Geographic Information System (GIS) for the upstream petroleum sector (Deloitte Petroleum Services)
"Piggybacking on the hunt for massive oil discoveries"

"Listed Oil Juniors Hitting Success in Africa"
Proven oil reserves in Africa, 2006

Top 5 African oil reserve holders, 2007

Top proven oil reserves and production in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2006

Top Sub-Saharan Africa oil production, by country, 2006

Sub-Saharan Africa has about 7 percent of proven world oil reserves, according to the EIA. Africa’s exploitable reserves may expand significantly with technological advances over the next decade. Of the 8 billion barrels of crude oil reserves discovered by prospectors worldwide in 2001, 7 billion were in the fields off West and Central Africa’s Atlantic coast. The Gulf of Guinea has up to 24 billion barrels in reserves, according to some estimates. Proven reserves increased by 56 percent between 1996 and 2006, compared to 12 percent for the rest of the world. IHS Energy projects West Africa will account for 38 percent of global oil production growth through 2010, more than any other region except the Middle East. Africa’s oil output is expected to increase over the next three decades from 6m barrels/day (8% of global oil supply) to 14,4m barrels/day (12%). About $52 billion will be invested in deepwater African fields by 2010, with approximately 32 percent coming from the U.S. 

In 2006, 36% of Africa's oil exports reportedly went to Europe, 33% to the United States and 8,7% to China. 

Companies involved in the production of and exploration for oil in Africa

  • ExxonMobil [NYSE:XOM] is one of the largest net producers of hydrocarbons in Africa. ExxonMobil’s operations in Africa accounted for about 16 percent of the company’s 2005 net oil and gas production and about 15 percent of upstream earnings, with those percentages expected to increase as new projects come on stream. The production base includes operations in Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. In addition to those countries, exploration activities are taking place in Libya, Madagascar, Niger, the Republic of Congo, and the Nigeria-Sao Tomé and Principe Joint Development Zone and Senegal. ExxonMobil is also progressing LNG opportunities in Nigeria and Angola.

Algeria has proven oil reserves estimated at 11 billion barrels and gas reserves of 160 trillion cubic feet. It has the world's seventh largest gas reserves.
  • Oil production: 1.373 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
  • Oil exports: 1.127 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 11 billion bbl (2006 est.)
  • Natural gas production: 80.15 billion cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas exports: 60.87 billion cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 4.545 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
[more] 
China reportedly accounts for 35% of oil exports from Angola. Click HERE for an overview

  • Oil production: 1.6 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 25 billion bbl (2006 est.)
  • Natural gas production: 750 million cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 45.87 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
[more]

  • Oil proved reserves: 4.105 million bbl (1 January 2002)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 1.133 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
[more] 
  • Oil production: 82,300 bbl/day (2005 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 90 million bbl (2006 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 110.4 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

[more] 
  • Oil production: 225,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 2 billion bbl (2005)
A 1,000 km pipeline carries oil from Kome in southern Chad's Doba Basin to the Atlantic coast of neighbouring Cameroon. The pipeline transfers 225,000 bpd of oil and is a joint venture between US oil giants ExxonMobil (which holds 40 % of the private equity) and Chevron (25 %), and Malaysia's state oil company Petronas (35 %).
[more]

  • Oil production: 267,100 bbl/day (2005 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 93.5 million bbl (1 January 2002)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 90.61 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

[more] 
  • Oil production: 21,090 bbl/day (2004)
  • Oil exports: 21,090 bbl/day (2006 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 1.538 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 991.1 million cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
(more]

  • Oil production: 32,900 bbl/day (2005 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 220 million bbl (2006 est.)
  • Natural gas production: 1.3 billion cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
[more] 
Egypt

Egypt Déjà Vu - Thina Margarethe Saltvelt, Ph.D

Click HERE for an overview
  • Oil production: 700,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
  • Oil exports: 134,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 2.6 billion bbl (2006 est.)
  • Natural gas production: 32.56 billion cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas exports: 1.1 billion cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 1.657 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
  • Oil production: 420,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 563.5 million bbl (1 January 2002)
  • Natural gas production: 100 million cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 36.81 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Ethiopia

  • Oil proved reserves: 214,000 bbl (1 January 2002)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
  • Oil production: 268,900 bbl/day (2005 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 1.827 billion bbl (2006 est.)
  • Natural gas production: 100 million cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 33.98 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Click HERE for an overview
  
Takoradi: Ghana’s Oil City - Nikki Jones
  •  Oil production: 7,477 bbl/day (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 23.79 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Guinea

Houston's HyperDynamics Corporation has been meeting with government officials to discuss hydrocarbon development plans in the country. The company has exploration and data marketing rights for the entire continental margin of Guinea, which covers 210 miles of coastline and up to 150 miles offshore.

Guinea-Bissau

In March 2002, U.K.-independent Premier Oil plc announced the results of its first exploratory well on the Sinapa prospect (Block 2) offshore Guinea-Bissau. The Sinapa-1 exploratory well has been designated plugged and abandoned with oil shows. Despite the disappointing results, Premier Oil plans to retain its acreage in Guinea-Bissau, and is in the process of reviewing seismic data on its holdings. In addition, Premier Oil planned to drill exploration wells, Eirozes and Espinafre, towards the end of 2006. The national oil company of Guinea-Bissau, Petroguin, is planning to offer the country's new deep-water acreage to prospective investors. Exploration activity in the region has sparked interest in the remaining 11 offshore blocks.

Kenya

Kenya currently does not produce crude oil, and must import all of the 57,000 bbl/d it consumes. Previous exploration attempts for a domestic source of oil have met mostly with disappointment. However, with the most recent round of exploration performed in the later half of 2003 by Australian-based Woodside Petroleum, Pancontinental, and UK-based Dana Petroleum, and others, hopes are high that the renewed search for oil in Kenya may enjoy greater success. The Kenyan government has spent about $169 million exploring for oil and natural gas over the past 15 years. Over 30 wells have been drilled so far, but without much success. Work is also continuing by the new Kenyan government of President Kibaki to introduce a New Petroleum Bill designed to help better regulate Kenya's petroleum sector.

Liberia

In 2005, Liberia held its first licensing round since the cessation of its civil war in 2003. Liberia awarded exploration concessions to UK-based Regal Petroleum plc, Repsol, Woodside Petroleum Ltd, Broadway Consolidated and Oranto Petroleum. In addition, Canadian-based Ona Exploration Inc signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Liberian government for oil and natural gas drilling rights in two offshore concessions.
Regal Petroleum announced in December, 2007, that it had disposed of its interest in Blocks 8 and 9 offshore Liberia, through the disposal, for a nominal consideration, of its wholly owned subsidiary Regal Liberia Limited, to European Hydrocarbons Limited, which holds a 75% interest in such Blocks.
The Production Sharing Contracts in respect of these Blocks, through which the Company held a 25% interest, remained unratified by the Liberian Government and the Company has taken the view that this project does not constitute part of its future area of core interest.


Libya holds Africa's largest proven oil reserves at 36 billion barrels and gas reserves of an estimated 46 trillion cubic feet. The country has 12 oil fields with reserves of more than one billion barrels each. Many foreign oil company interests in Libya were nationalized in the 1970's. Others pulled out when the United States imposed sanctions in 1986, but the country has attracted considerable interest from international oil companies since 2004, when the United States and European Union eased sanctions following Libya's agreement not to pursue nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
  • Oil production: 1.72 million bbl/day (2006 est.)
  • Oil exports: 1.34 million bbl/day (2004)
  • Oil proved reserves: 42 billion bbl (2006 est.)
  • Natural gas production: 8.06 billion cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas exports: 2.13 billion cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 1.472 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
[more]


  • Oil production: 90.59 bbl/day (2004 est.)
[more]

Malawi

In November, 2006, the Malawi government said it was in discussion with international firms interested in exploring for oil in the Lake Malawi basin and in the Shire valley. They had received interest from Malaysia- and US-based firms which were examining the available data and discussing the way forward.

Mali

To date, no proven hydrocarbon reserves have been found in Mali. However, many oil companies are currently exploring for oil, with focused exploration on the Taoudeni basin and the Graben de Gao in the northwest of the country.


Mauritania's offshore region became a new oil province with Woodside Petroleum Ltd's Chinguetti, Banda, Tiof and Tevet discoveries between 2001 and 2004 which have oil reserves of several hundred million barrels.
  • Oil production: 75,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 1 billion bbl (2005)
[more]
 
  • Oil production: 300 bbl/day (2005 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 100 million bbl (2006 est.)
  • Natural gas production: 50 million cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 1.218 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
[more]
 
  • Natural gas production: 80 million cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 127.4 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 62.3 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
[more]

Niger

  • In Petronas’ and ExxonMobil’s Agadem Block, the companies discovered an estimated 350 million barrels of oil equivalent. Oil exploration has been carried out for more than 20 years in Niger's Djado region on the border with Libya, but no commercial finds have been discovered.
  • Oil production: 2.451 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 36.25 billion bbl (2006 est.)
  • Natural gas production: 21.8 billion cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas exports: 12.59 billion cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 4.984 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
[more] 
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 56.63 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
  • Natural gas production: 50 million cu m (2004 est.)
[more]
 

Sierra Leone

In October 2005, Sierra Leone signed an agreement with Nigerian’s oil and natural gas company, Frazimex Ltd, allowing the company to explore for oil in Block 3 for seven years. Several test wells drilled in the 1970's on Sierra Leone's continental shelf produced "shows" of oil.

  • Natural gas proved reserves: 5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
[more]
 
  • Oil production: 229,900 bbl/day (2004 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 7.84 million bbl (1 January 2002)
  • Natural gas production: 2.23 million cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
  • PetroSA (State-owned) is involved in exploration and production in South Africa, as well as Gabon, Nigeria and Sudan.
[more]

Sudan

South Sudan: “The Oil is Now Flowing” - Scarlett Barclay

China accounts for 60% of oil exports from Sudan. China obtained oil exploration and production rights in 1995 when the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) bought a 40% stake in the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company, which is pumping over 300,000 barrels per day. Sinopec, another Chinese firm, is building a 1500-kilometer pipeline to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, where China’s Petroleum Engineering Construction Company is constructing a tanker terminal.
  • Oil production: 344,700 bbl/day (2004 est.)
  • Oil exports: 275,000 bbl/day (2004)
  • Oil proved reserves: 1.6 billion bbl (2006 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 84.95 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
[more]
 
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 22.65 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Togo

  • Petronas and Hunt Oil Company are exploring for oil. Hunt Oil signed a PSC with Togo in late July 2002 for the country's first deepwater well. In addition, Togo awarded Hunt Oil the exclusive rights to the country’s entire offshore area. The contract area, previously divided into 15 blocks, covers 1,570 square miles.
  • Oil production: 81,530 bbl/day (2004 est.)
  • Oil proved reserves: 1.7 billion bbl (2006 est.)
  • Natural gas production: 2.4 billion cu m (2004 est.)
  • Natural gas proved reserves: 77.87 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
[more]
 
Although Uganda had no proven oil or gas resources, renewed exploration efforts are taking place, and there are signs that the western Rift Valley may contain considerable hydrocarbon deposits.

Zambia

Zambia announced in October, 2006, that samples from 12 sites have proved positive for oil and gas in tests conducted in Germany. The discoveries were made in western Zambia, near the border with Angola in the two districts of Chavuma and Zambezi.




Posted by Carel van der Merwe at 12.3.07