Leigh Elston

Africa editor

Leigh Elston has written extensively about the global gas and LNG market for Gas Strategies, focusing particularly on UK and US energy law, the Middle Eastern gas market, energy project finance and LNG project management. Before joining Gas Strategies, Leigh reported for 18 months on the oil and gas project finance market for Infrastructure Journal.

Email: [email protected]

The Tundra FSRU is moored outside the port of Tema. (Jonathan Ernst, World Bank)

Ghana LNG work continues despite govt indecision

With the final say still hanging on which LNG import project will proceed, Ghana is pushing ahead with an LPG-fuelled emergency power programme.

12 August 2016

South Africa's gas is in the Karoo Basin. (Dominic Morel)

Social licence key to South African gas industrialisation

South Africa is working to advance its gas industry, but developers will have to tread carefully to avoid stirring up tensions in the region, says Denton’s Noor Kapdi.

10 August 2016

Angola shifts energy insurance ‘between monopolies’

A presidential decree aimed at opening up Angola’s energy market may have shifted the monopoly from one state-owned entity to another.

5 August 2016

Tanzanian President John Magufuli. He has pledged to crack down on corruption. (PA)

Tanzania may be drawing tax prize closer

The capital gains tax dispute following Shell’s takeover of BG Group, will provide a useful insight into Tanzania’s legal system.

3 August 2016

Solar power panels in Mali. There is growing interest in the IFC’s Scaling Solar programme in Africa. (World Bank)

IPPs get their claws out for Scaling Solar

The success of the IFC’s Scaling Solar programme in Zambia could be the death knell for larger, much-needed renewable energy projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

26 July 2016

Petronas’s PFLNG project. Senegal may opt for a custom-built vessel. (Petronas)

West Africa’s FLNG dark horses eye 2017 FID

Cooperation on a proposed joint FLNG project could put Senegal and Mauritania in the lead to become the next African gas exporters.

19 July 2016

A rig in Cameroon’s Etinde field. Engie planned to use other producers’ output to feed an LNG plant. (Bowleven)

Engie shelves Cameroon as LNG moves offshore

As operators in Cameroon look to monetise offshore gas, Engie is winding down operations in the country as its 3.5 mtpa onshore LNG plant looks unlikely to go ahead.

14 July 2016

Xaris Energy’s LNG-to-power project is planned for Walvis Bay, Namibia. (Jeremy Hetzel, Flickr)

Xaris LNG project wins Namibia court ruling

The Namibian High Court has ruled in favour of the Xaris LNG-to-power project, but its rival Arandis claims the judge failed to assess the merits of the case.

11 July 2016

Workers at a Ghanaian power plant. Ivory Coast is linked to Ghana’s electricity network. (Jonathan Ernst/World Bank)

Ivory Coast turns from gas to coal in generation mix

Ivory Coast is looking to reduce the share of gas-fired power in its electricity mix from 80% to 32% by 2030.

5 July 2016

Theuns Ehlers of Barclays Africa. (Edelman)

Finance favours bite-size power in sub-Saharan Africa

Small renewable power projects are most likely to get financed in Africa as there is still not the bank liquidity for the mega-deals, says Barclays Africa manager Theuns Ehlers.

1 July 2016

Associated gas from Ghana’s Jubilee field feeds into the grid via the Atuabo gas plant. (Ghana Gas)

Ghanaian power demand may support two FSRUs

Ghana’s director of petroleum says the country only needs one LNG terminal, but the minister of power says demand could justify two FSRUs.

24 June 2016

Maputo, Mozambique. The country is moving forward with Eni’s Coral LNG project. (John Hogg/World Bank)

Mozambique approves contracts for FLNG

Mozambique’s government has agreed several key contracts for Eni’s FLNG plant, while Anadarko has appointed a new country head.

23 June 2016

Ghana’s port of Tema. The country is set to decide soon which FSRU option it will use. (Jonathan Ernst/World Bank)

Ghana to resolve LNG deadlock within weeks – GNPC

Ghana should soon choose between the WAGL or Quantum Power FSRU projects, but the decision could still be delayed.

22 June 2016

The port of Tema in Ghana. It needs to be modified to accommodate an FSRU. (World Bank/Jonathan Ernst)

Little WAGL room at Tema Port for Golar’s FSRU

Golar’s Tundra FSRU is waiting outside the port of Tema, but Ghana’s port authorities have told Interfax no work has yet started to accommodate the vessel.

16 June 2016

Power lines in South Africa. The ARP would provide gas for power projects along its route. (PA)

SacOil’s exit from African pipeline raises questions

A new South African company has stepped in to $6 billion African Renaissance Pipeline project, replacing original sponsor SacOil.

9 June 2016

Gabriel Obiang Lima, Equatorial Guinea’s energy minister, announcing the bidding round. (Africa Oil & Power)

Equatorial Guinea launches bid round, eyes FLNG FID

Confident the slump in oil prices is over, Equatorial Guinea has launched a new licensing round and says it is on track to take an FID on Ophir’s 2.2 mtpa Fortuna FLNG before the year end.

7 June 2016