Crude Oil

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Upstream Market Grows Amid Angolan Collaboration

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is undertaking an ambitious upstream drive in the hopes of attracting new players to the market, increasing production and ushering in a new era of energy security for the central African nation.

Published

3 months ago

July 14, 2023

Investors King

While a 30-block licensing round currently underway is set to open the market up for frontier exploration, a new deal signed with Angola is expected to kickstart a wave of oil and gas developments on the back of cross-border knowledge sharing.

The Ministry of Hydrocarbons of the DRC and the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas of Angola are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the co-ownership and development of the Chevron-operated Block 14, which is located on the maritime border of the two countries. The signing will formalize the countries shares in the Block, with both the DRC and Angola retaining 30% ownership each while Chevron holds the remaining 40%. Set to be signed on July 13, 2023 in Kinshasa, the MoU will unlock a new era of cooperation regarding offshore energy development between the two hydrocarbon-producing countries.

The African Energy Chamber (AEC), as the voice of the African energy sector, strongly commends and supports the DRC and Angola for reaching the agreement as it will pave the way for a new chapter of cooperation between the two countries in addressing oil and gas industry challenges in the energy transition era. Notwithstanding the opportunities for Angola, the deal will bolster DRC exploration at a time when global stakeholders are calling for an end to fossil fuel investments.

Representing a relatively untapped hydrocarbon market, the DRC is inviting E&P players to capitalize on the country’s promising on- and offshore acreage. To date, licenses have been awarded for only three Lake Kivu gas blocks, and with 27 blocks still up for grabs, the country offers lucrative opportunities for frontier E&P players. Stepping into this picture, the DRC-Angola deal is set to trigger a wave of interest in the central African market as the major oil producer leverages its expertise to grow the DRC offshore market. The deal is not only a testament to both countries’ stability but to their focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in pursuit of energy security. For other regional nations, the deal serves as a benchmark, while for foreign players, a demonstration of political will and support for offshore exploration.

With Angola’s National Oil Company (NOC) Sonangol in the process of privatizing, the country is positioning the NOC as a competitive operator. This spells new opportunities for collaboration between the respective NOCs of Angola and DRC, with Sonahydroc – the DRC’s NOC – standing to learn a great deal from its regional counterpart. Under the terms of the Block 14 deal, Sonangol will be writing off a $200 million debt for Sonahydroc, enabling the NOC to prioritize funding towards the development of Block 14. This is a testament to not only the potential of the Block but to Angola’s commitment to furthering regional collaboration.

“The AEC strongly supports the DRC and Angola for reaching an agreement on the co-development and monetization of resources on Block 14. We are confident that the deal will not only benefit the two countries but will unlock regional energy market growth. We see the DRC’s target of increasing production from 23,000 barrels of oil per day to between 500,000 and one million barrels turning into a reality from such a cooperation. For Africa to make energy poverty history on the back of its oil and gas resources, cooperation amongst countries is key. Senegal and Mauritania have set an example on the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim development and now the DRC and Angola are following suit on Block 14,” stated NJ Ayuk, the Executive Chairman of the AEC.

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Crude Oil

Oil Prices Surge as China’s Holiday Demand and Tight US Supply Drive 2% Weekly Gain

Published

3 days ago

September 29, 2023

Samed Olukoya

Oil prices to close the week with about a 2% gain as robust holiday demand from China and constrained U.S. fundamentals overshadowed concerns about potential supply increases from Saudi Arabia.

Brent crude oil, against which Nigerian oil is priced, gained 5 cents to $95.43 per barrel at about 6:00 a.m. Nigerian time on Friday while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) rose by 16 cents to $91.87 per barrel.

The market’s resilience became evident as it rebounded from a slight 1% dip in the previous session when profit-taking followed a surge in prices to 10-month highs.

China, the world’s largest oil importer, played a pivotal role in driving prices higher. Strong fuel demand coincided with China’s week-long Golden Week holiday, with increased international and domestic travel significantly boosting Chinese oil consumption.

Analysts at ANZ noted that this holiday season’s surge in travel was underpinned by the fact that the average daily flights booked were a fifth higher than during Golden Week in 2019, pre-dating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, improving macroeconomic data from China and the steady growth of its factory activity further supported the bullish sentiment.

The U.S. economy’s robust growth and indications of accelerated activity in the current quarter also bolstered expectations of sustained fuel demand.

Also, tight supplies in the U.S., evidenced by dwindling storage levels at Cushing, Oklahoma, provided additional support to oil prices. As rig counts fell, U.S. oil production was expected to slow down, potentially pushing the market into a deficit of more than 2 million barrels per day in the last quarter.

Investors are now eagerly awaiting the upcoming meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+), scheduled for October 4th.

The meeting will be a crucial indicator of whether Saudi Arabia will consider stepping up its supply in response to the nearly 30% surge in oil prices this quarter.

Analysts, however, caution that the market may be entering overbought territory, leading to possible hesitancy among participants and concerns that OPEC+ could ease production cuts earlier than planned if prices continue to rise.

The outcome of next week’s OPEC meeting will undoubtedly hold significant implications for the oil market’s future trajectory.

Crude Oil

Oil Prices Soar to a Year High as Crude Reserves Plummet

Crude stocks at a pivotal storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, hit their lowest levels since July last year, sparking concerns about future supply stability.

Published

4 days ago

September 28, 2023

Investors King

Oil prices surged to their highest level in over a year during Asian trading hours, following a significant drop in crude stocks at a key storage hub.

Crude inventories in Cushing, Oklahoma, plummeted to a mere 22 million barrels in the fourth week of September, close to operational minimums, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

This translates to 943,000 barrels compared to the prior week.

The U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to $95.03 per barrel during Asian trading hours, a peak not seen since August 2022 before settling at $94.61 per barrel.

Meanwhile, Brent crude oil, the international benchmark for Nigerian oil, rose by 1.05% to $97.56 per barrel.

Experts have attributed this rapid price escalation to the precarious situation in Cushing, with Bart Melek, Managing Director of TD Securities, stating, “Today’s price action seems to be Cushing driven, as it reaches a 22 million bbl low, the lowest level since July 2022.”

Melek expressed concerns about the challenges of getting crude oil into the market if inventories continue to dip below these critical levels.

Predicting the future trajectory of oil prices, Melek suggested that prices could remain at elevated levels for the remainder of the year, especially if the global oil cartel, OPEC+, continues to enforce supply restrictions.

He noted that the global oil market is facing a “pretty robust deficit” on top of an already significant shortfall for this quarter due to OPEC’s production cuts.

Saudi Arabia, a key player in OPEC+, has extended its voluntary crude oil production cut of 1 million barrels per day until the year’s end, bringing its crude output to nearly 9 million barrels per day.

Russia has also pledged to continue its 300,000 barrels per day export reduction until December.

However, Melek added that, “We do think that prices could keep up near these levels for quite some time. But I don’t think it’s too permanent. And we might have seen the end of this rally.”

Crude Oil

Nigerian Pump Prices May Increase as Crude Oil Hits $93.55 Per Barrel

Published

6 days ago

September 26, 2023

Investors King

Amidst growing concerns over the surging price of crude oil on the international market, Nigerian citizens are bracing themselves for a possible increase in pump prices.

Crude oil, the lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy rose to $92.42 per barrel on Monday, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the already volatile fuel market.

This surge in crude oil prices comes in tandem with the persistent depreciation of the Naira in foreign exchange markets, where it traded at N980 to $1 on the parallel market. For many Nigerians, these simultaneous developments trigger memories of the recent fuel price hikes that followed the removal of fuel subsidies earlier this year.

In June, the government removed the subsidy, leading to a sharp 210% increase in the pump price from N175 per liter to N546.83 per liter. In a further blow to consumers, less than a month later, the price surged again, reaching N617 per liter.

However, since then, there have been no additional fuel increments, despite fluctuations in the Naira’s exchange rate. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with key government officials and industry leaders, has reiterated their commitment to stabilizing petrol prices in the country.

According to Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, “The President affirms that there will be no increase in the price of petroleum motor spirit.”

Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC), echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that NNPC is the sole supplier of petrol nationwide and has not proposed any price hikes.

Industry experts like Chinedu Okonkwo, President of the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), have urged the government to expedite efforts in implementing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a viable alternative to traditional fuels, providing a long-term solution to the country’s energy needs.

While the global crude oil price surge is a cause for concern, Nigerians are holding onto the government’s commitment to price stability and the potential for CNG to provide a sustainable energy alternative in the future.

In a market with unique dynamics, where NNPC remains the sole supplier and importer of fuel, the hope is that prices will remain stable for the benefit of all Nigerians.