Orca Energy: Impasse in gas negotiations with Tanzania

Orca Energy, via PanAfrican Energy Tanzania, has not found a solution to the negotiations with Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation concerning the gas sales contract and the Songo Songo license extension.

Share:

Blocage des négociations gaz

Gain full professional access to energynews.pro from 4.90$/month.
Designed for decision-makers, with no long-term commitment.

Over 30,000 articles published since 2021.
150 new market analyses every week to decode global energy trends.

Monthly Digital PRO PASS

Immediate Access
4.90$/month*

No commitment – cancel anytime, activation in 2 minutes.

*Special launch offer: 1st month at the indicated price, then 14.90 $/month, no long-term commitment.

Annual Digital PRO Pass

Full Annual Access
99$/year*

To access all of energynews.pro without any limits

*Introductory annual price for year one, automatically renewed at 149.00 $/year from the second year.

Orca Energy Group, through its subsidiary PanAfrican Energy Tanzania Limited (PAET), is encountering difficulties in its gas sales contract and development license extension discussions with Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC).
These negotiations are essential for PAET’s operations on the Songo Songo gas field in Tanzania, governed by the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) and Gas Agreement (GA) signed in 2001.
Since April 2023, PAET has officially requested TPDC to renew the Songo Songo development license, a request that remains unanswered to this day.
Under the terms of the GA, protected gas production was due to end on July 31, 2024, after which any gas produced would become additional gas, for which PAET holds exclusive development and sales rights.

Contested extension of Protected Gas

On April 15, 2024, the Permanent Secretary to the Tanzanian Minister of Energy ordered TPDC to extend protected gas production until October 10, 2026, contrary to the terms of the original agreement.
PAET and its legal advisors, including Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, are currently examining possible remedies if no agreement is reached by July 31, 2024.
At the same time, demand for natural gas has fallen due to a temporary increase in hydroelectric production, caused by abundant rainfall in Tanzania, which has reduced Songo Songo’s gas production levels below forecasts.

Revised Forecasts and Investments

As a result of falling demand, Orca has revised its forecast for additional gas sales in 2024 downwards, from 80-90 MMcfd to 70-80 MMcfd.
This revision assumes that the protected gas regime ends on July 31, 2024.
Orca plans capital expenditures of $22 million for 2024, including an intervention on the SS-7 well and production testing.
Deliveries of equipment for the SS-7 well intervention are progressing despite a slight delay caused by social unrest in Kenya.
The start of this intervention is now scheduled for the third quarter of 2024, subject to the signature and extension of the gas sales agreement with TANESCO until October 10, 2026.

Financial position

At June 30, 2024, Orca had working capital of $68.6 million and cash of $97.2 million.
TANESCO’s current receivable is $6.3 million, with an expected billing of $3.5 million for July 2024 gas deliveries.
Orca is currently reviewing all discretionary costs to conserve cash.

Impact and prospects

The current situation between Orca and TPDC raises questions about the stability of energy agreements in Tanzania.
The unilateral extension of protected gas production by the Tanzanian government could affect the confidence of international investors in the country’s energy sector.
Resolving this impasse is crucial for the future of PAET’s operations in Tanzania.
Decisions taken in the coming months will determine the company’s strategic direction and its role in the Tanzanian gas market.

Backed by an ambitious public investment plan, Angola is betting on gas to offset declining oil output, but the Angola LNG plant in Soyo continues to face operational constraints.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb denounced fossil fuel imports from Russia by Hungary and Slovakia as the EU prepares its 19th sanctions package against Moscow.
Japanese giant JERA has signed a letter of intent to purchase one million tonnes of LNG per year from Alaska, as part of a strategic energy agreement with the United States.
US-based Chevron has submitted a bid with HelleniQ Energy to explore four offshore blocks south of Crete, marking a new strategic step in gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.
GTT has been selected by Samsung Heavy Industries to design cryogenic tanks for a floating natural gas liquefaction unit, scheduled for deployment at an offshore site in Africa.
A consortium led by BlackRock is in talks to raise up to $10.3 billion to finance a gas infrastructure deal with Aramco, including a dual-tranche loan structure and potential sukuk issuance.
TotalEnergies commits to Train 4 of the Rio Grande LNG project in Texas, consolidating its position in liquefied natural gas with a 10% direct stake and a 1.5 Mtpa offtake agreement.
US producer EQT has secured a twenty-year liquefied natural gas supply contract with Commonwealth LNG, tied to a Gulf Coast terminal under development.
The Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies said that NextDecade would formalise on Tuesday a final investment decision for a new liquefaction unit under the Rio Grande LNG project in the United States.
Monkey Island LNG has awarded McDermott the design of a gas terminal with a potential capacity of 26 MTPA, using a modular format to increase on-site output density and reduce execution risks.
The Voskhod and Zarya vessels, targeted by Western sanctions, departed China’s Beihai terminal after potentially offloading liquefied natural gas from the Arctic LNG 2 project.
ADNOC Gas will join the FTSE Emerging Index on September 22, potentially unlocking up to $250mn in liquidity, according to market projections.
Norwegian company BlueNord has revised downward its production forecasts for the Tyra gas field for the third quarter, following unplanned outages and more impactful maintenance than anticipated.
Monkey Island LNG adopts ConocoPhillips' Optimized Cascade® process for its 26 MTPA terminal in Louisiana, establishing a technology partnership focused on operational efficiency and competitive gas export pricing.
NextDecade has signed a liquefied natural gas supply agreement with EQT for 1.5 million tonnes annually from Rio Grande LNG Train 5, pending a final investment decision.
Sawgrass LNG & Power has renewed its liquefied natural gas supply agreement with state-owned BNECL, consolidating a commercial cooperation that began in 2016.
Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation have signed a binding memorandum to build the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, set to deliver 50 bcm of Russian gas per year to China via Mongolia.
Permex Petroleum signed a $3 million purchase option on oil and gas assets in Texas to support a strategy combining energy production and Bitcoin mining.
Enbridge announces the implementation of two major natural gas transmission projects aimed at strengthening regional supply and supporting the LNG market.
Commonwealth LNG’s Louisiana liquefied natural gas project clears a decisive regulatory step with final approval from the U.S. Department of Energy for exports to non-free trade agreement countries.

Log in to read this article

You'll also have access to a selection of our best content.