Tanzania Speeds Up Payments, Concurs Aminex
More gas producers in Tanzania are noting an improvement in payment by state-owned offtakers.
UK-listed Aminex said July 20 it is pleased to have received a further payment for gas sales from the Kiliwani field, which it operates, from state-owned Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and said it continues to work with TPDC to bring arrears fully up to date. However it said that production from Kiliwani North 1, the sole producing well on the field, continues to average a lowly 15mn ft3/d during 2017.
Better payment by the state may be a way of reassuring gas producers, after the government last month turned on Acacia, 63.9% owned by Canada's Barrick Gold, accusing it of illegal gold mining. Last week Acacia agreed to pay extra taxes on production but may yet still invoke arbitration.
In the Ruvuma onshore area, nearer the Mozambican border, Aminex said it is engaged on its updated basin model, and said a gas development plan is being prepared by Io oil & gas consultancy, adding that these, together with submission of the Ntorya Field development plan to TPDC, are expected to be completed in early September.
Aminex is also re-evaluating existing data over its licence interests around Songo Songo Island, where Kiliwani field is, to identify further drilling targets which could ultimately produce additional gas into the processing plant there.
Aminex has fellow UK-based Solo Oil as a junior partner at both Kiliwani and Ruvuma. Solo chairman Neil Ritson said: "We are pleased to see that TPDC have made a further US dollar payment for our Kiliwani gas sales and that Aminex continue to work with TPDC to bring payments up to date."
On July 19, Calgary-based, Oslo-listed Wentworth said payments for gas from TPDC and Tanesco had improved recently.
Mark Smedley