Your account has been succesfully created.

EN FR

Scroll through edition

The Morning Brief
Log in

Password

Keep me logged in

Forgot your password?
Subscribe

Spotlight |
SIZING UP MEGA MERGER IMPACT ON AFRICA

Africa certainly hasn't been a decisive factor in the flurry of mega-mergers in the oil industry which are being spurred instead by the need to cut costs in the face of plunging oil prices – in real terms these are [...]

Published on 02/12/1998 at 11:00 GMT Reading time 3 minutes

This article may be accessed by subscribers

In order to ensure high-quality and independent journalism, Africa Intelligence relies solely on subscriptions from its readers, with no advertising, no events and no consulting work.

Several offers are available depending on your particular reading needs

Consult our offers

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

Create your free account

Discover our work by making use of the following possibilities: daily newsletters, a selection of free articles, keyword alerts.

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

create a free account

Energy

Read also

Morocco
LPG, SOUNDING OUT MARKET

A Moroccan source has depicted Rubis' plan to build an imports terminal with a capacity of 40,000 tons per year [...]

Subscribers only Energy 21.12.1999

Angola
HAKURYU V TO DRILL FOR TEXACO

The Japan Drilling semi-submersible Hakuryu V has secured a commitment [...]

Subscribers only Energy 21.12.1999

Canada
SHELL PULLS OUT OF COASTAL FIELDS

Shell has sold its 45% stake in the coastal permits [...]

Subscribers only Energy 21.12.1999

Nigeria
MOBIL TAKES BACK TWO JACK-UPS AND WILL REACH FIVE NEXT YEAR

Mobil has fixed the jack-up Noble Percy Johns for one [...]

Subscribers only Energy 21.12.1999

Equatorial Guinea
DOZEN FPSO OFFERS TO TRITON

Triton Energy, which is taking a "super fast track" to [...]

Subscribers only Energy 21.12.1999

Spotlight | Africa, United States
TIME FOR TRANSPARENCY

In denouncing the secretive practices of the oil industry in its report "A Crude Awakening" (AEM 265), Global Witness has undoubtedly put paid to the impression created by its previous report on diamonds that it was banging away exclusively at [.

Subscribers only Energy 21.12.1999

Spotlight | Chad, Libya
KHADAFI COMES TO RESCUE CHAD'S OIL

Colonel Muammer Kadhafi declared during a press conference on Nov. 30 that he intended to help Chad "replace Western oil companies" that pull out of the Doba oil fields project (AEM 264). He didn't dare add, however, that he was [.

Subscribers only Energy 08.12.1999

Africa
JOHN COUSINS NAMED EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF EXXON/MOBIL EXPLORATION

John Cousins who dealt with Africa for Mobil New Ventures [...]

Subscribers only Energy 08.12.1999

Africa
THE EXECUTIVE LINE-UP AT TOTALFINA-ELF

On Dec. 1 Total Fina published a list of 50 [...]

Subscribers only Energy 08.12.1999

Angola
PRIDE ANGOLA TO DRILL ONE WELL FOR BP AMOCO

BP Amoco is to take advantage of a slot with [...]

Subscribers only Energy 08.12.1999

Angola
WOOD MACKENZIE LOWERS ITS PROJECTION

In its latest update on E&P in Angola, Wood Mackenzie [...]

Subscribers only Energy 08.12.1999

Angola
GLOBAL WITNESS, PART II

Less than a year after it published its report "A Rough Trade" on the diamonds that fuelled UNITA's military ventures, [...]

Subscribers only Energy 08.12.1999

Congo
HALFWAY MOVE FOR HYDRO CONGO

Companies slated for privatization in Congo are going to change their management before the sell-off, including Hydro Congo. The latter [...]

Subscribers only Energy 08.12.1999

Spotlight | Africa
TOTALFINA-ELF, RESOLVED BUT SELECTIVE

A decision like the withdrawal – complete or partial – of Elf and Shell from the Chad oil project is automatically economic in nature. That, at any rate, was how the head of TotalFina Exploration-Production Christophe de Margerie portrayed the [.

Subscribers only Energy 24.11.1999

Nigeria
MOBIL SIGNS UP FOR ADRIATIC VIII AGAIN

Mobil has signed a new contract with Global Marine for [...]

Subscribers only Energy 24.11.1999

Congo
ELF MAY HAVE FOUND RIG FOR ULTRA DEEP

AEM has learned that Elf is negotiating with Shell to [...]

Subscribers only Energy 24.11.1999

Cameroon, Chad
DOBA VICTIM OF GLOBALIZATION

The Chad government signed a preliminary accord with Vivendi to take over management of the Societe Tchadienne d'Electricitre et d'Eau [...]

Subscribers only Energy 24.11.1999

Angola
HITCHES WITH NEWBUILD

Elf Exploration Angola's eighth find on block 17 after that of Cravo in early September is going to have to [...]

Subscribers only Energy 24.11.1999

Angola
OCEAN ALLIANCE TO DRILL FOR CHEVRON

The deepwater semi Ocean Alliance has secured a series of [...]

Subscribers only Energy 10.11.1999

Angola
SEDCO EXPRESS TO BE DELIVERED IN JANUARY

The DCN shipyard in Brest, France expects to deliver the [...]

Subscribers only Energy 10.11.1999

Nigeria
EA PROJECT IN STARTING BLOCKS

In late October Shell's board gave a go-ahead to the EA project that will involve a first venture in "alternative" [...]

Subscribers only Energy 10.11.1999

Spotlight | Ivory Coast
NEWCOMER EDGES INTO OIL PICTURE

Bids for the privatization of Societe Ivoirienne de Raffinage (SIR) are now set to close on Nov. 7. This follows changes in TotalFina's approach to the sell-off that prompted it to re-shape its bid by bringing Shell aboard in addition [.

Subscribers only Energy 27.10.1999

Africa
EXXON WON'T GET JACK RYAN UNTIL AT LEAST MID-2000

The newbuilding drillship Glomar Jack Ryan, which is being built [...]

Subscribers only Energy 27.10.1999

Congo
UP TO THREE WELLS IN ADDITION TO THE ONE ON MPS

Elf indeed issued a tender – closed on Oct. 12 [...]

Subscribers only Energy 27.10.1999

Angola
7TH DISCOVERY ON BLOCK 17 CONFIRMED

A seventh discovery in block 17 where Elf operates was [...]

Subscribers only Energy 27.10.1999

Madagascar
TOTAL MADAGASIKARA AVIATION IS BACK

The company born of TotalFina's takeover of jet aviation fuel [...]

Subscribers only 16.10.1999

New Zealand
OPEN CONFLICT WITH ERHC

The Sao Tome government has started legal action for "slander" [...]

Subscribers only Energy 13.10.1999

Gabon
POSSIBLE MOVES LOOMING FOR ELF GABON, ENERGY AFRICA AND AMERADA

Before planned talks with TotalFina on Elf Gabon's future, president [...]

Subscribers only Energy 13.10.1999

Angola, Congo
CLOSER LOOK AT CONGO BASIN

Elf Exploration-Production is examining the first results from a series of surveys conducted by the French marine research institute Infremer [...]

Subscribers only Energy 13.10.1999

Rwanda
METHANE GAS PROJECT

At the behest of Rwanda's energy ministry, the "special projects [...]

Subscribers only Energy 29.09.1999

Nigeria
SHELL STILL SEEKING TWO JACK-UPS FOR EA

Shell is still in the market for two other jack-ups [...]

Subscribers only Energy 29.09.1999

Angola
PRIDE AFRICA TO START WITH APPRAISAL WELL

The new deepwater drillship Pride Africa, which arrived in Angola [...]

Subscribers only Energy 29.09.1999

Ivory Coast
SIR SELL-OFF POSTPONED

The Sept. 13 announcement that Elf and Total were to merge has had its first visible impact in Africa with [...]

Subscribers only Energy 29.09.1999

Congo
KOMBI-LIKALALA IN PRODUCTION

Elf Congo has just put its latest development among small fields in the former Pointe Noire Grands Fonds permit, Kombi [...]

Subscribers only Energy 29.09.1999

Congo
DEEPWATER FRONTIER FOR ULTRA-DEEP ELF WELL?

The drillship Deepwater Frontier may be emerging as the leading [...]

Subscribers only Energy 15.09.1999

Angola
DISCOVERIES ON BLOCKS 15 AND 17

Earlier this month Elf confirmed its sixth discovery on block [...]

Subscribers only Energy 15.09.1999

Africa
TOTALFINA-ELF, ENI LEAVES OPTIONS OPENED

The Sept. 13 announcement that Total/Fina and Elf had agreed to a now-friendly merger pushed aside rumors that ENI might [...]

Subscribers only Energy 15.09.1999

Gabon
ELF'S EVER-FASTER OUTPUT DROP

The pace of Elf Gabon's drop in production, which saw output fall from 53 million barrels in 1997 to 48 [...]

Subscribers only Energy 15.09.1999

Equatorial Guinea
MOBIL RELEASES ALEUTIAN KEY

Mobil has released the semi-submersible Aleutian Key after a contract [...]

Subscribers only Energy 01.09.1999

Spotlight | Africa
SEDCO-TRANSOCEAN TIE-UP IN WAKE OF BP-AMOCO

A tie-up between Sedco-Forex and Transocean has come on the heels of a wave of mega oil mergers that began with BP Amoco and looks likely to end once the double takeover battle between Total Fina and Elf runs its [.

Subscribers only Energy 28.07.1999

Libya
NIMR LINES UP ACTINIA

Nimr Petroleum is due to take the Actinia next month [...]

Subscribers only Energy 28.07.1999

Africa
PRICE UPTURN FUELS HOPES

The oil price has recovered strongly and hopes are rising [...]

Subscribers only Energy 28.07.1999

Angola
ELF CONTRACT FOR SBM

Elf has ordered a CALM loading point anchoring system from [...]

Subscribers only Energy 28.07.1999

Angola
TESTS ON PROSPECT IN BLOCK 15

Tests will be completed in August on an exploration well [...]

Subscribers only Energy 28.07.1999

Angola
PRIDE AFRICA ON THE WAY

The 51-49% joint venture between Pride International and Sonangol that owns the drillship Pride Africa has taken delivery of the [...]

Subscribers only Energy 28.07.1999

Spotlight | Africa, France
TOTALFIN/ELF FALLOUT FOR AFRICA

A full week after Total Fina, which exists as such only since April 16, launched a 43 billion Euro takeover bid for Elf there is no solid indication of when Elf's board will meet to approve the "major project" that [.

Subscribers only Energy 14.07.1999

Morocco
SHELL APPLIES FOR TWO BLOCKS

Shell and the Office National de Recherches et d'Exploitation Petrolieres [...]

Subscribers only Energy 14.07.1999

Ivory Coast
DEEPWAER FRONTIER TO DRILL ON CI-105

AEM has learned that Ocean Energy will drill its East [...]

Subscribers only Energy 14.07.1999

Nigeria
SHELL REPLACES PUMPING STATIONS

Shell Nigeria has placed an order for two mobile pumping [...]

Subscribers only Energy 14.07.1999

Nigeria
NEW SHELL-SEDCO CONTRACT FOR TRIDENT VIII

Shell Nigeria has agreed a new contract with Sedco Forex [...]

Subscribers only Energy 14.07.1999

Gabon
DEBUT FOR AUSTRALIAN

The government was negotiating with an Australian firm, Millenium Oil [...]

Subscribers only Energy 14.07.1999

Africa, France
TOTALFINELF A MARKET GIANT?

If Total Fina succeeds in its takeover bid for Elf the impact on the gas market could be extremely significant. [...]

Subscribers only Energy 14.07.1999

Nigeria
SHELL LOOKS FOR ELUSIVE HIGH PRESSURE JACK-UP

Shell has again invited bids for provision of a jack-up [...]

Subscribers only Energy 30.06.1999

Nigeria
STILL NO GREEEN LIGHT FOR AMENAM-KPONO

An official green light from the Nigerian authorities for the [...]

Subscribers only Energy 30.06.1999

Senegal
WOODSIDE AND ROC OIL TAKE OPTION ON 120,000 SQ.KM. LEASES

The Australian gas company Woodside Petroleum and the Australian junior [...]

Subscribers only Energy 30.06.1999

Africa
EXATRADE-JOVENNA ON THE MOVE

Exatrade is interested in extending its activities to the mining sector, concedes the South African trading company. But in fact [...]

Subscribers only Energy 30.06.1999

Nigeria
TOTAL TO USE SEDCO 709

Total will use the deepwater semi Sedco 709 as previously [...]

Subscribers only Energy 16.06.1999

Equatorial Guinea
MOBIL PLANS THREE EXPLORATION WELLS

Mobil has a requirement for a semi to drill up [...]

Subscribers only Energy 16.06.1999

Angola
ELF OFFERS SLOTS WITH SEMI SUBS

AEM has learned from oil services circles that Elf is [...]

Subscribers only Energy 16.06.1999

Congo
DROP IN INVESTMENT CONTAINED?

Semi-official sources in Brazzaville believe that investment in Congo in general and in the oil industry in particularly won't be [...]

Subscribers only Energy 16.06.1999

West Africa
WAGP PUSHES AHEAD

A feasibility study on the West African Gas Pipeline project that the scheme's promoters handed to the German company Pipeline [...]

Subscribers only Energy 16.06.1999

Spotlight
SOUTH AFRICA: PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN GAS?

A state utility could team up with private firms in investing in the initial phase of a gas pipeline network in South Africa before itself being privatized. And the state pipeline company Petronet could be the key piece in that [.

Subscribers only Energy 19.05.1999

Cameroon
WORKOVERS FOR ELF AND DEVELOPMENT IN SIGHT

Elf has fixed the Sedco Forex jack-up Trident VIII for [...]

Subscribers only Energy 19.05.1999

West Africa
BP AMOCO CANCELS PEREGRINE DEAL

BP Amoco has cancelled a three-year plus options drilling contract with R&B Falcon for the drillship Peregrine VII on the [...]

Subscribers only Energy 19.05.1999

Angola
ELF'S 5TH FIND IN BLOCK 17

Elf Exploration Angola has just recorded a fifth oil discovery in block 17. Named Tulipa it comes after Girassol in [...]

Subscribers only Energy 19.05.1999

Libya
ELF Z4 PLAN NEARLY READY

Elf is understood to be considering a development of a field in its C-137 block in Libya which would entail [...]

Subscribers only Energy 19.05.1999

Nigeria
INVITATION TO TENDER FOR DRILLING ON AMENAM-KPONO

As expected, Elf has invited bids for provision of two [...]

Subscribers only Energy 05.05.1999

Angola
FINAL ULTRA DEEP AWARDS SOON

Already postponed several times, the final distribution of stakes on the first blocks in Angola's ultra deep offshore - 31, [...]

Subscribers only Energy 05.05.1999

Congo
BRAZZAVILLE SEEKS GAS PARTNERS

The Congo's hydrocarbons ministry has joined with the energy and hydraulics department in seeking private partners willing to conduct a [...]

Subscribers only Energy 05.05.1999

Nigeria
SHELL, CHEVRON AND AGIP CEASE IN-SHORE OPERATIONS

The swamp barges Searex IV and Searex VI have been [...]

Subscribers only Energy 14.04.1999

Nigeria
SEDCO 709 JOB FOR SHELL

Shell Nigeria is shortly expected to resume operations with the [...]

Subscribers only Energy 14.04.1999

Nigeria
MOBIL RELEASES ANOTHER JACK-UP

Mobil Nigeria is releasing the jack-up Trident VI next week [...]

Subscribers only Energy 14.04.1999

Congo
SEDNETH 701 ON KOMBI-LIKALALA

Elf Congo is going to retain the services of the [...]

Subscribers only Energy 14.04.1999

Africa
SHELL QUITS THREE COUNTRIES

The sale of Royal Dutch-Shell's exploration and production assets in Namibia, Congo Brazzaville and Ivory Coast came as a bolt [...]

Subscribers only Energy 14.04.1999

Nigeria
EARLY 2001 DRILLING FOR AMENAM

Elf is expected in late April to issue invitations to tender for two jack-ups that it needs to drill development [...]

Subscribers only Energy 14.04.1999

Spotlight | Algeria
GAS JV ERA JUST BEGINNING

Three of the biggest Algerian projects could well be brought under the same roof this year through a merger between BP-Amoco and Arco. News of the possible merger, which appeared in the Wall Street Journal on March 29, came just [.

Subscribers only Energy 31.03.1999

Europe
SHELL POLISHES ITS PR

Beseiged on all sides by Ogonis, Ijaws, environment NGOs, human [...]

Subscribers only Energy 31.03.1999

Cameroon
ELF SEEKS RIG FOR WORKOVER

Elf has issued a tender invitation for a jack-up rig [...]

Subscribers only Energy 31.03.1999

Nigeria
KADUNA SLATED FOR PRIVATIZATION

President-elect Olusegun Obasanjo claimed there was no reason for rushing to privatize state-owned companies when he with met business leaders [...]

Subscribers only Energy 31.03.1999

Africa
OIL & GAS INVESTMENT CONFERENCE

A second conference on oil and gas investment in Africa [...]

Subscribers only Energy 17.03.1999

Angola
THE FIGHT CONTINUES FOR ULTRA DEEP OFFSHORE

The fight for stakes in the first ultra-deep offshore blocks [...]

Subscribers only Energy 17.03.1999

Congo
ELF RELEASES GLOMAR ADRIATIC V

As AEM reported it would do (AEM 246), Elf Congo [...]

Subscribers only Energy 17.03.1999

Nigeria
ACCORD ON 3RD NLNG TRAIN

Nigeria LNG has awarded a consortium made up of Technip, Snamprogetti, Kellog Brown & Root and Japan Gasoline Corporation the [...]

Subscribers only Energy 17.03.1999

Madagascar
TECHNICAL OFFER FOR SOLIMA

Of the 96 specifications sold for the Call for bids [...]

Subscribers only 06.03.1999

France, Gabon
ELF GABON'S INVESTMENTS FALL FOR SIXTH YEAR RUNNING

Elf Gabon cut back on investment in exploration for the [...]

Subscribers only Energy 03.03.1999

Africa, France
TWO THIRDS OF ELF OUTPUT FROM AFRICA

Africa's share in Elf Aquitaine's net output of crude rose [...]

Subscribers only Energy 03.03.1999

Nigeria
MOBIL TO RELEASE TOMMY CRAIGHEAD IN MAY

Mobil Nigeria has given Noble Drilling notice that it is [...]

Subscribers only Energy 03.03.1999

Angola
GIRASSOL PUT BACK A FEW MONTHS

Although the end of the year 2000 still officially remained [...]

Subscribers only Energy 03.03.1999

West Africa
TEXACO-R&B FALCON CONTRACT CONFIRMED

R&B Falcon has been awarded a three-year contract by Texaco [...]

Subscribers only Energy 17.02.1999

Congo
ELF DROPS SEDCO 700

Elf has negotiated the early termination of its contract with [...]

Subscribers only Energy 17.02.1999

Nigeria
SHELL UNVEILS $8.5 BN PROJECTS

Shell wants to press ahead with new gas and oil developments involving $8.5 billion in investments despite the fact that [...]

Subscribers only Energy 17.02.1999

Angola
FEED CONTRACT FOR ALIA

An affiliate of the ABB group, ABB Lummus, has won the front end, engineering and design contract for the development [...]

Subscribers only Energy 17.02.1999

Nigeria
SHELL SLOWS DOWN ON DRILLING

The deepwater semi Sedco 709 is due to return to Shell Nigeria at the beginning of March to begin a [...]

Subscribers only Energy 17.02.1999

Nigeria
BOS WINS SHELL TENDER FOR ODIDI

Bouygues Offshore has just won the tender issued in early [...]

Subscribers only Energy 03.02.1999

Gabon
MOBIL TURNS ALEUTHIAN KEY OVER TO ARCO FOR A WELL

Arco has agreed terms with Mobil to take a sublet [...]

Subscribers only Energy 03.02.1999

Africa
TEXACO-R&B FALCON DEAL IN VIEW?

R&B Falcon acknowledges that it is close to agreeing a contract for its planned newbuild deepwater drillship Deepwater IV which [...]

Subscribers only Energy 03.02.1999

On our other sites

NEW TWISTS TO TAIWAN FRIGATE SCANDAL

The scandal involving payments of commissions by Thomson-CSF for the sale of anti-aircraft frigates to Taiwan has taken a fresh [...]

Subscribers only Intelligence Online 18.11.1999

THE GERMAN ANGLE TO ELF AFFAIR

Intelligence Newsletter has learned that the Swiss legal authorities are poised this week to issue an international arrest warrant for [...]

Subscribers only Intelligence Online 09.09.1999

DIETER HOLZER

Dieter Holzer is a powerful and secretive businessman who probably holds some of the secrets of the Elf scandal. Son [...]

Subscribers only Intelligence Online 10.06.1999

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM SIRVEN'S FRIENDS

According to the French police sources, former Elf managing director Alfred Sirven is thought to have been helped to drop [...]

Subscribers only Intelligence Online 13.05.1999

Sign up for real-time alerts and be notified of new editions!

Once registered, you will be notified by a short message on your computer or mobile phone as soon as a new edition of our publication or an alert is published. Stay informed anytime, anywhere!