Andy Home: Metal smelting will be the next major mineral crisis for the West.
The impact of China’s export controls on rare earths has already caused global supply chains to reel, but a more critical mineral threat is imminent. Western metal smelters face a crisis. China's rapid expansion in processing capacity is reducing margins for all metals. Recently, copper smelters located in Namibia and Philippines were placed under care and maintenance because their processing fees had fallen. There are more at risk. Glencore warned that the Mount Isa Copper Smelter in Australia was no longer financially viable after mining activities stopped this month.
Andy Home: Metal smelting will be the next major mineral crisis for the West.
The impact of China’s export controls on rare earths has already caused global supply chains to reel, but a greater threat from critical minerals is imminent. Western metal smelters face a crisis. China's rapid expansion in processing capacity is reducing margins for all metals. Recently, copper smelters located in Namibia and Philippines were placed under care and maintenance because their processing fees had fallen. There are more people at risk. Glencore warned that the Mount Isa Copper Smelter in Australia was no longer financially viable after mining activities ceased this month.
Sierra Leone is West Africa's new oil and gas frontier
A senior government official announced on Thursday that Sierra Leone would wait to see the results of its recently launched offshore 3D seismic study, its first for over a decade. This will allow it to open its next round of oil and gas licenses later this year. GeoPartners, in partnership with the petroleum directorate of the government, began the six-week survey last month to reduce the risk associated with exploration in the offshore basin of Sierra Leone. Foday Mansaray is the director general of the Sierra Leone Petroleum Directorate. He said that the reprocessing was taking place with TGS.
Andy Home: Copper smelters face both a market and pricing crisis.
Copper smelters have become so desperate for raw materials that they pay miners to convert their concentrates into refined copper. The so-called treatment-and-refining-charges (TCRC) are supposed to be a major revenue source for copper smelters, but the spot charges have been in the negative since the beginning of the year. The copper bull narrative is that there are too few mines. However, the current collapse in processing fees can be attributed to too many smelters and too much demand. The imbalance is unsustainable…
Rhino Resources to drill new exploration well off Namibia
A company spokesperson announced on Tuesday that Rhino Resources, an African energy exploration firm, and Azule Energy its partner will drill the Volans-1X offshore Namibia at the end of July or beginning of August. Volans is being explored soon after Rhino Resource struck light oil at its second successful exploration, Capricornus 1X, which was drilled off Namibia's coastline in April. A company spokesperson stated that testing Volans was a priority in order to explore a possible fast-track option. He added that the morphology of Volans could make it easier for developers to exploit.
South Africa's $5.8 billion Project Aims to Produce Low-Cast Green Ammonia
A $5.8 billion project on South Africa's east coast seeks to use the country's infrastructure and cheap renewable power to make some of the world's cheapest green ammonia for clients in Europe and Asia, an executive said.South Africa is vying with other African nations, including Egypt, Morocco and Namibia, to meet rising demand in the European Union and Asia for hydrogen and ammonia described as green because they are produced from renewable energy.Ammonia is used in making fertiliser and by the chemical industry and it is also the means to deliver hydrogen, which is sought after to reduce carbon emissions but is very difficul
South Africa's Hive project, worth $5.8 billion, aims to be the leader in low-cost ammonia production
An executive revealed that a $5.8 billion South African project located on the east coast aims to use cheap renewable energy and the country's infrastructure to produce some of the cheapest green ammonia in the world for clients from Europe and Asia. South Africa competes with other African nations including Egypt, Morocco, and Namibia to meet the growing demand for green hydrogen and ammonia in Europe and Asia. These products are described as "green" because they're produced using renewable energy. Ammonia can be used to make fertiliser, by the chemical industry, and to deliver hydrogen.
Petrobras CEO: Africa will be the main exploration region for Petrobras outside Brazil.
Petrobras wants to develop Africa as its primary region outside Brazil. The CEO of the state-run oil company said this in a broad interview on Thursday. Petrobras CEO Magda Chabriard said that Ivory Coast extended the "red-carpet" to Petrobras when it granted the company the preference for buying nine offshore exploration blocks on Wednesday. She said that Nigeria, Angola and Namibia also expressed an interest in working with Brazil's giant. Chambriard said, "We are experts on the eastern margins of Brazil," citing similar geological features between the region and Africa.
TotalEnergies and BWEnergy to decide on Namibian projects by the end of next year, Minister says
Namibia's petroleum commissioner stated on Tuesday that the French oil giant TotalEnergies will make a final decision on investment (FID) for its Venus discovery within the African nation in the fourth quarter 2026. Maggy Shino, at a conference held in Paris, said that she expected TotalEnergies' first oilfield development plan to be approved in June or July. Shino said that Namibia expects to finalise a new field development plan in June with BWEnergy of Norway to develop the smaller Kudu field. A FID will also be issued in late 2026.
Portugal's Galp Q1 profit core falls by 29%, as refinery margins are halved
Galp Energia, a Portuguese company, reported a 29% decline in its adjusted core profit for the first quarter on Monday. This was due to a drop in oil production and a decrease in refining profits that were less than half of what they had been a year earlier. The adjusted earnings before taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), which is the average expected by 17 of the company's analysts, fell to 669 millions euros ($761million), a little above the 666 million euro average. The refining margins dropped to $5.60 per barrel from $12 in the previous quarter. Early in the trading session, shares fell by 3.3%.
African energy exploration company Rhino Resources discovers light oil offshore Namibia
Namibia got a boost Thursday after Rhino Resources found "high-quality" light oil at its latest well. U.S. oil company Chevron also announced that it is considering a drilling campaign for 2026 or 2027. The southern African nation, a global hotspot for exploration, aims to produce its oil by the end of the decade, following a series of recent discoveries by Shell, TotalEnergies, and Galp Energia. The African energy explorer Rhino Resource found light oil in Capricornus 1X, its second successful exploration, which was drilled off the coast of Namibia in the prolific Orange Basin.
Indian firms look to Dutch Royal IHC in order to explore deep sea mineral deposits
Two sources have confirmed that Indian mining and cement firms approached Dutch shipbuilder Royal IHC to ask for assistance in preparing bids for deep sea mineral blocks. India held its first auction of 13 deep-sea offshore mineral blocks in November. These included three construction sand and lime mud blocks as well as seven polymetallic blocks. The blocks are rich in minerals such as cobalt and copper. They also contain manganese and nickel which is vital for solar panels and electric vehicles. The first auction tranche is expected to end by the end March.
Africa Oil Corp. bullish on Nigerian growth and Namibia long-term game
A senior executive at the company said that Canada's Africa Oil Corporation would double its Nigerian production and its reserves once it completed its deal to acquire Prime Oil on Tuesday. Africa Oil will acquire the entire shareholding of Dutch company Prime Oil & Gas Cooperatief. Its main assets are indirect stakes in Nigerian deep-water fields operated by TotalEnergies or Chevron. Oliver Quinn is the chief commercial officer of Africa Oil. He said: "We will dramatically change the scale and scope of our business when we close that deal.
Brazil's Petrobras is looking for African oil assets to increase reserves
Petrobras, the Brazilian oil company, wants to purchase stakes in African oil assets - primarily in Angola and Namibia - to increase its reserves, as it anticipates that production will fall after 2030. A senior executive revealed this on Wednesday. Sylvia dos Anjos told the India Energy Week conference that the Brazilian state-owned energy company is in discussions with existing partners ExxonMobil and Shell to purchase a stake of their African assets. It makes more sense in our portfolio. It's economical. It is convenient to travel anywhere with them because they are our partners. "It is just natural", she said.
ReconAfrica, a Canadian company, finds oil in the Naingopo onshore well
The chief executive of Canada's Reconnaissance Energy Africa, ReconAfrica, said that the company has discovered oil in its Naingopo exploration well on land and plans to increase drilling in this region. ReconAfrica, which is drilling near the Okavango Delta, a sensitive area in Namibia, has been criticized by Namibian communities and environmentalists for years. However, the government has given its approval to continue. The company is authorized to drill several wells. ReconAfrica CEO Brian Reinsborough stated in a press release that "we are excited about this well's results…
Shell downplays Namibia's oil discovery as a blow to the country
Shell has written down $400 million in oil discoveries offshore Namibia, which it considered commercially unviable. This is a major blow to Namibia's attempts to become a crude-producing country. Shell, its partners QatarEnergy, and Namibia's National Oil Company discovered hydrocarbons in block PEL39 2022. This discovery along with a second TotalEnergies in a block nearby sparked colossal global interest in this southern African nation that has no oil or gas production. Shell has drilled nine wells on the license in the last three years. In a different licence offshore.
COP29: Which are the main issues at the UN Climate Summit in Baku
The U.N. Climate Summit COP29, which will take place in Baku on November 15th, has been called the "climate financing COP" because its main goal is to decide how much money each year should be allocated to help developing countries deal with climate-related expenses. This discussion may be difficult following the reelection of Donald Trump as former U.S. president on Tuesday. A climate denier, Trump's campaign promised to remove the United States from the historic 2015 Paris Agreement for fighting climate change a second. Delegates will also look to further other agreements made at previous summits.
Petrobras' focus remains Brazil despite Africa plans, director says
Petrobras, the state-owned oil company in Brazil, has its main focus on its own country. Its director of exploration, production, said this Thursday. He added that Brazil remained a top priority, even though it plans to expand into Africa. Petrobras, which is looking to replenish its oil reserves in the future, has publicly expressed interest in expanding their oil fields in Africa. This move comes after years of the company focusing on Brazil. Director Sylvia dos Anjos said in an interview that the Brazilian oil giant has evaluated billion-dollar blocks across Africa.
Sources: Exxon pulls out of race to purchase stake in Namibian oil block from Galp
Exxon Mobil pulled out of the race for half of Galp Energia’s stake in a major oil discovery in Namibia, which has drawn interest from other top energy companies. Sources have previously stated that more than 12 oil companies, including Exxon Shell and Brazil's Petrobras, had expressed an interest in Galp’s 40% stake in Mopane's offshore discovery. Galp also proposes that the buyer operates the field. Exxon did not give any explanation for its withdrawal. Sources claim that other companies have engaged with Galp in the sale. Exxon Galp has declined to comment.
Shell to make large cuts in its oil exploration division: sources
Shell will cut its oil and natural gas exploration and production workforce by 20%, according to company sources. CEO Wael Sawan is extending his cost-saving efforts to this highly profitable division following the deep cuts made in renewables and low carbon businesses. Sources said that the restructuring of the exploration, wells development, and subsurface units would result in hundreds of job losses around the globe, with the greatest impact in offices in Houston, The Hague, and Britain. Sources added that consultations will be held with the employee representative bodies to determine the exact 20% reduction.
