Tanzania’s President Upbeat About Gas Discoveries

Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete sounding upbeat about country recent natural gas discoveries said that these finds should play a significant role in alleviating poverty in the East African nation, Tanzania Daily News reported.

Tanzania has so far made gas discoveries of about 42 trillion cubic feet (tcf) in five onshore and offshore gas fields.

"People should realise and appreciate the benefits of the discovery for development of this country in short time to come," Kikwete made the remarks at the weekend after meeting the Chief Executive Officer of British Gas (BG), Chris Finlayson, Daily News said.

The President said that commercial development should not take very long because people want to see the benefits of the gas in the shortest time possible. 

BG is among multinational companies involved in exploration of natural gas and oil in Tanzania and has already made some discoveries at its Mzia wells in Mtwara Region, with tests on the wells flowing at a maximum rate of 57 million standard cubic feet (mscf) of natural gas per day.

The British company has upgraded its total gross recoverable gas resources in Tanzania to around 13 tcf, the company said in its quarterly report last month.

In July, BG Group had its eighth consecutive gas discovery offshore Tanzania, with the Ngisi-1 exploration well located in Block 4.