Sunbird Gets US Funding for South Africa Gas Project

Australia listed and Southern Africa gas explorer and developer Sunbird Energy has announced that the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has granted funding to progress the field development plan for the 540 Bcf (2P) Ibhubesi Gas Project (Sunbird 76%), offshore South Africa.

USTDA will provide 80% (approx. A$800,000) of the funding for development of the Ibhubesi Gas Project Field Development Plan (FDP).

Ibhubesi Gas Project is South Africa’s largest undeveloped gas field. Sunbird’s joint venture partner in the project is PetroSA (24%), the national oil company of South Africa.

Development of the Ibhubesi gas field would provide South Africa, with critical gas-fired power generation capacity at an economically competitive tariff, offsetting current high cost diesel imports, Sunbird Energy said.

Sunbird also has a portfolio of five Coal Bed Methane (CBM) projects covering an extensive area of prospective coal basins across in South Africa and Botswana.