Tlou Gets Extra Time to Submit Botswana Power Project
AIM- and Australia-listed Botswana coalbed methane developer Tlou Energy said July 3 it has lodged a Mining Licence application for its Lesedi CBM project with the Botswanan government, and said the latter has given it more time to submit a power project proposal.
In Botswana, mining licences typically for 20 years are issued once exploration on a relevant Prospecting Licence is concluded and the licence holder is ready to start commercial production. Tlou’s contingent 3C gas resources on its Selemo licences are independently certified at 3.2 trillion ft3.
Tlou also said that the government had indicated it will extend the deadline for receipt of Tlou’s proposed up-to-100MW of CBM-fuelled power project. In January 2017 Tlou was officially invited to submit its proposal, setting out a closing date of 12 July. As some supporting documentation has yet to be released by the government, it has indicated that it will allow further for submissions to be completed but did not confirm a new closing date.
Two weeks ago Tlou generated its -- and Botswana's -- first power from CBM when it replaced a diesel generator at its Selemo site with a gas-fired one.
Elsewhere in Botswana, Denver-based independent Strata-X said in April 2017 it has farmed into a 273,000 acre-lease in the Kalahari Basin (dubbed the Serowe CBM project) and "has the opportunity to achieve a 75% working interest" in an estimated 1.045 trillion ft3 of prospective resources.
Mark Smedley