DMEA - Downstream Middle East & Africa

Morocco launches FSRU and pipeline tenders as it targets 2027 LNG import start

Morocco has issued international tenders to procure an FSRU and build a national gas pipeline network as it works toward commissioning its first LNG import terminal by 2027.

Senegal to start domestic gas pipeline construction in 2025 as MSGBC states deepen regional cooperation

Senegal plans to begin construction of its domestic gas pipeline network before end-2025, Energy Minister Birame Soulèye Diop said, positioning domestic supply as a core pillar of the country’s gas-to-power and industrial strategy.

Heirs Energies, NNPCL advance gas commercialisation at OML 17 in Nigeria

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Heirs Energies have signed flare-gas commercialisation agreements under the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP) and approved Non-NGFCP frameworks.

Senegal approves payment into African Energy Bank as APPO targets $120bn capital build-out

Senegal will pay its AEB contribution in December, strengthening African Petroleum Producers’ Organization and Afreximbank’s $5bn capitalisation drive for the lender, which targets a $120bn scale-up to finance hydrocarbons & renewable projects

Aramco to launch Jafurah condensate exports in February

Saudi Aramco is set to commercialise the first liquid flows from its strategic Jafurah unconventional gas basin in February

Iran’s PGPIC reports gains from domestic tech drive

Iran’s Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Co. (PGPIC), the country’s largest petrochemical holding, recorded a 7% rise in output over the past year driven by investment in research and development, its CEO Mohammad Shariatmadari said.

Morocco accelerates deepwater port expansion with new Mediterranean and Atlantic hubs

Morocco plans to open two new deepwater ports—Nador West Med in 2026 and the $1bn Dakhla hub in 2028—as it expands industrial zones, adds LNG import capacity and prepares for future green hydrogen exports.

Petrol price hike to take effect in Iran over weekend

Petrol prices will be hiked at fuel stations from the early hours of September 13, Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told state television, as the administration seeks to rein in the heavy burden of fuel subsidies on its budget.

China–Africa trade set to exceed $200bn in 2025 as regional bodies deepen trade links amid US tariffs

Chinese exports to Africa are projected to surpass $200bn in 2025, down from last year’s record but still driven by strong demand, shifting global tariff incentives and the expiry of Washington's AGOA preferences.

Standard Chartered and World Bank close $200mn clean cooking bond to 415,000 cookstoves in Ghana

Ethiopia set to review Gas-by-Rail agreement as promoters outline 40-country rail energy corridor

Ethiopia is set to sign a Host Country Collaborative Agreement with Insight Dynamic Resources for the proposed Gas-by-Rail Economic Corridor Initiative, which envisions a 73,500km transcontinental rail system delivering gas across 40 African states.

Nigeria’s NNPCL repays $3bn loan with $1.3bn worth of crude under Project Gazelle

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) repaid part of its $3bn loan from the African Export-Import Bank in 2024 through the delivery of NGN991bn ($1.3bn) worth of crude oil under a forward sale arrangement

Nigeria’s CNG sector attracts $2bn investment, targets $5bn by 2027

Nigeria’s compressed natural gas (CNG) sector has attracted $2bn in private investment within two years, with the government targeting $5bn by 2027 and projecting large-scale job creation across the industry

Iran’s NIPC chief urges push to cut reliance on foreign equipment

Iran’s petchem sector needs to import $2bn worth of foreign equipment each year, a sum that represents a “big and strategic market” for domestic suppliers according to the head of NIPC

Egypt signs agreement with US Honeywell for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production

The Egyptian Petrochemical Holding Company (ECHEM), through the Egyptian Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production Company, has signed a licensing agreement with the global US tech group Honeywell to locally produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)

TotalEnergies clarifies financing changes for Mozambique LNG project after UK, Dutch agencies withdraw

TotalEnergies has issued a statement with a clarification on the financing of the Mozambique liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.

Turkey tells Russia, Ukraine to keep energy infrastructure out of war

Turkey has told Russia, Ukraine and all relevant parties to ensure energy infrastructure is kept out of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on December 4.

Iran continues to waste energy at significant cost

Iran is facing dual issues of energy scarcity due to ongoing sanctions and poor energy efficiency – with the latter taking a severe toll on the country’s economy as it wastefully consumes more than it can produce.

Turkish shipowner halts Russia-linked operations after blasts off Senegal

Turkish shipping company Besiktas has suspended all operations connected to Russia after one of its oil tankers was damaged by multiple explosions near Senegal’s coast,

Nigeria should not be importing fuel, says Aliko Dangote

CEO of Dangote Group Aliko Dangote has criticised Nigeria’s continued reliance on imported crude and refined petroleum products, noting that the country has no justification for importing the commodities if current laws were being enforced.

Luberef gains feedstock extensions for facilities at Jeddah, Yanbu.

Saudi Aramco Base Oil Co. (Luberef) has received notice from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy regarding the extension of feedstock allocation for its facilities.