Africa

Indian Oil Corp., the top refiner in India, has signed a contract with Sonatrach of Algeria to import LPG from 2027. India is diversifying its sources of LPG (mainly used for cooking) to reduce its dependence on the Middle East. The recent blockade of energy flows in the Strait of Hormuz forced the South Asian nation, which was forced to ration LPG supplies, to rely less on Middle Eastern suppliers. IOC will lift one large?gas container containing between 45,000 and 55,000 metric tonnes of LPG (a mixture of propane?and butane) every month. IOC had a contract with Sonatrach for a...

The CEO of Dangote Petroleum Refinery said that the planned October IPO could 'become Africa’s largest' and would allow Nigerians to share 'in its growth. Sources familiar with the issue told the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission this month that the refinery had submitted a?application'for a $5 billion IPO, but the size of the IPO is still unknown. David Bird, CEO of David Bird, said in an interview that "we really want to drive the participation." "The IPO's mandate was to be a people's IPO." Bird stated that the company wanted to have at least three years' worth of financial...

Citgo Petroleum, a Venezuelan-owned U.S. refining company, reported on Thursday that its profit jumped from $100 million to $936 in the second quarter due to strong refining margins resulting from global supply disruptions. Ownership of the 829,000-barrel-per-day Houston-based ?refiner could change to an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management if a court-ordered auction to ?pay Venezuela-linked creditors completed in Delaware last year is ultimately approved by the U.S. Treasury Department, ?which remains pending. The company reported that a tight supply-demand balance, as well as a geopolitical premium, characterized the quarter. The U.S. and Israel war on Iran, as well as shipping...

The local oil refiners association reported that Nigeria was considering changes to its crude allocation rules and pricing to increase 'feedstock' access for its refiners. This includes Dangote Refinery. Dangote said previously that Nigeria's pricing structure added $3 to $4 per bar to feedstock costs because purchases were routed through trading arms of producers. Analysts claim that the pricing of domestic crude oil is more important than availability. This move could boost operations at Africa's largest?refinery of 650,000 barrels per day, Dangote, whose production has been at times constrained by the difficulty in securing enough crude supplies domestically. CORAN, the...

Brega Petroleum Marketing Company released a statement saying that a fire broke out, along with a heavy smoke, in the diesel?tank at Zawiya Refinery in Libya on Monday after the tank was hit under circumstances that are still unknown. Brega, owned by the state oil company NOC, is responsible for fuel supply. Zawiya, the largest refinery in Libya, as Ras Lanuf has been shut down, is located around 40 km west of Tripoli. Its capacity is?120,000 barrels a day. It is linked to the 300,000 barrels per day Sharara oilfield. The?company stated that firefighter 'brigades' are battling the fire. It...

According to documents seen on Monday, Naji Issa has submitted his resignation to both the legislative chambers of Libya. The documents, whose authenticity was confirmed by Issa in the document, stated that he could not continue to hold his position, but he did not elaborate on the reason, citing the sensitive nature of the issues. Issa stated in documents sent to the leaders of the two chambers that he would not be able to continue his position. The two documents stated: "I apologize that I am unable to continue my duties as Governor of Central Bank of Libya without disclosing...

After?18 months? of intensive negotiating, Syria and Russia have reached an agreement to settle the future of Russian base?at Tartous?and Hmeimim?, according the Syrian Foreign Ministry. The ministry announced that the Syrian state will take over the management of civil facilities, such as Hmeimim Airport and the commercial berth at Tartous Port, allowing for their gradual integration into the civilian administration. The military sites would be converted into joint training and qualification centres, under new arrangements that preserve the interests of both parties. This transition was to be completed in three months. The Russian naval base at Hmeimim and?Tartous air?base...

According to documents obtained by, Nigeria's NNPC, the state-owned oil company, issued a further tender?to.sell a cargo.of its newest.crude oil grade Cawthorne.in September. Cawthorne was exported in March along with other grades recently introduced, such as Nembe, and Utapate. Nigeria is looking to diversify and boost its exports after years of underinvestment and disruptions due to oil theft and operational disruptions. The document states that the Cawthorne shipment will be loaded?on September 22-23 and will consist of 950,000 barrels. NNPC also offers a 950,000 barrel 'cargo of Bonny Light' loading between September 30 and October 1. NNPC has not 'immediately...

According to the data released on Sunday by the regulator, Nigeria's crude oil production reached its highest level in more than six years in June, as stable operations and improved reliability of pipelines boosted output. The Nigeria Upstream Regulatory Commission reported that Africa's biggest oil producer, Nigeria, produced an average of 1,56 million barrels of crude oil per day in June, which was 4% higher than the quota set by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Nigeria's total oil production, including condensates that are not subject to OPEC quotas in June, averaged 1.735 millions bpd, up from 1.7 million bpd...

Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani died aged 74. He was a moderniser and a powerful leader who took power in 1995, but broke tradition by handing it over to his son, 18 years later. The Amiri Diwan in Qatar, Qatar's top government body, announced on Sunday that Sheikh Hamad died. The cause of death was not mentioned. It did not mention?the cause of his death. Sheikh Hamad presided in one of the most significant periods of history of the country, driving a fast transformation of the small desert state, which reshaped the economy, global status and political ambition. He was...

The nation's Amiri Diwan (its top government body) announced on Sunday that Qatar's former emir had died at the age of 74. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar's former ruler from 1995 until 2013, abdicated to his son Sheikh Tamim. Sheikh Tamim is now the current leader of this gas-rich Gulf nation. The Amiri Diwan has announced the death of HH Father Amir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani. The Diwan stated that Allah would have mercy on him and give him the best reward possible for his achievements for 'his homeland and nation. Sheikh Hamad has raised Qatar's profile...

Nigeria's Dangote Group plans to finance a ?proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery in Kenya through ?internal cash flow, bonds and an initial public offering, a ?senior company executive told ?. It is estimated that the refinery will take three years to complete. The project would provide refined petroleum products for Kenya and other neighbouring countries. This would reduce East Africa’s dependency on imported fuels. It would also fulfil Dangote's ?ambition to expand fuel-processing capacity across Africa following the start-up of its 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery ?in Lagos. The site has been chosen, soil testing is underway, and the design?and engineering has begun. Edwin...

EGC, the state-backed cobalt buyer in Congo, is looking to increase the market for traceable cobalt. This includes establishing closer ties with electric vehicle battery manufacturers. Congo is the largest producer of cobalt in the world, and small-scale suppliers are responsible for 15% to 25%. The government is stepping up its efforts to formalise this sector by introducing export quotas, and tightening oversight. Cobalt is a critical metal for the energy transition. Since Congo implemented the system in October last year, Entreprise Generale du Cobalt, established to channel artisanal supply chains into formal supply, has shipped 100 percent of its...

Northam Platinum, South Africa, announced on Friday that its annual 'profit' increased by nearly a tenfold due to record production and higher price, allowing it to pay the highest dividend in its history. Northam reported headline earnings per share at 30.44 Rand ($1.90) in the year ending June 30, up from 3.81 rand one year ago. The miner announced that it would pay a record-breaking final dividend of 10 Rand per share. This is a 400% rise from the final payout last year. Northam's payout total for the year is now 6.8 billion rand. Northam's refined Platinum Group Metal (PGM),...

Sinomine Resource Group announced that it had secured an export quota of 'another 300,000 metric tonnes of 'lithium -concentrate' from Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe, Africa’s leading producer of lithium metal for batteries, introduced export quotas on April 1st after temporarily stopping concentrate shipments from February due to alleged leakages and malpractice. It has been pressing the mining companies to process more battery metal in-country, as it aims to maximize the economic benefits from extractive industries. The country will ban exports of lithium?concentrates in January 2027. Sinomine, the company that operates the Bikita Lithium Mine in Zimbabwe, stated in a half-year?report?seen on Tuesday?that...

Five industry sources have confirmed that Ghana's artisanal marketing agency for gold,?GoldBod, has been unable to provide funds to its "gold suppliers" in the last three weeks. This forced some operators to stop purchases or borrow money to remain in business, despite a surge of bullion prices. The last two weeks have been terrible. Last week, a gold dealer in Ghana's Ashanti Region stated that you could wait for a day and still not receive funds. A buyer from Ghana's Western Region who was funded by GoldBod said that funds hadn't been received in about three weeks. Sources requested anonymity...

Two senior DFC executives said that the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), is supporting a pipeline of African projects involving rare-earth elements, as private investors are reluctant to fund this sector. The DFC announced on Wednesday that it had committed $62.8 to rare-earth project in Malawi, Angola and Madagascar, but none of them has yet reached production. The majority of this funding, about $50 million, was allocated to the Phalaborwa Project in South Africa. It is backed by Dublin-based mining investors TechMet. One of the executives, who asked to remain anonymous because they weren't authorised for public discussion on...

Executives and analysts say that Indian steel mills face increasing pressure on their margins due to higher "coking coal" prices as a result of the Iran War and supply disruptions in Australia and China. India, after China the largest crude steel producer in the world, imports 95% of its coal, at least half from Australia. Nearly 40% of the cost of steel production is accounted for by coking coal. Indian steelmakers are increasing their spending in order to meet the strong domestic demand, driven by infrastructure development and economic growth. This could lead to squeezed margins and a delay in...

The?government's statement said that the Zambian police had arrested several prominent opposition figures during the night of the national elections. They were accused of posing an imminent threat to the state. On?Monday, partial results from Thursday's presidential and legislative elections were still being counted. President Hakainde hichilema was in the lead. The election will be a test to see if Hichilema can win a second term as the country's major copper producer. Brian Mundubile said that heavily armed individuals had raided the residence of his main rival after the elections. He described it as an assault on his life. In...

Three sources familiar with the matter said that the Chinese state iron ore purchaser reached an agreement in April with 'Anglo American over an annual supply contract for the key ingredient used to make steel. China Mineral 'Resources Group' (CMRG) was established in 2022 in order to gain more power on the iron ore markets where China is a dominant buyer. They have increased their efforts to get better terms for Chinese Steelmakers who are struggling with dwindling margins and dwindling demand. Bloomberg broke the news on Friday. Sources said that CMRG, under the?agreement which was not previously reported, became...

Investors weighed stalled attempts?to resolve the U.S. - Iran conflict, the continued disruptions of?shipping in the Strait of?Hormuz 'blockade?and a softer outlook for oil demand. Iran and the United States are still at odds on a permanent solution. A senior Iranian source said that there has been no progress in reviving or setting a timeline for the implementation of the June interim agreement. The prospects for a breakthrough have been further dampened by President Donald Trump's renewed criticism of Iran's leaders. Meanwhile, fresh attacks against shipping on Tuesday highlighted the dangers facing regional trade. The energy outlook was further impacted...

India and the five members of the Southern African Customs Union signed terms-of-reference on Wednesday, to begin talks on a preferred trade agreement. New Delhi is seeking lower tariffs for exports such as cars, pharmaceuticals, and industrial machinery. After five rounds of talks that ended in 2010 without an agreement, the move brings back India's negotiations with SACU. SACU is made up of South Africa, Botswana Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini. The agreement could be India's first significant trade agreement with a regional African bloc. It would give Indian companies access to 65 million people in Africa while also helping SACU...

Kerim Sener, Managing Director of Ariana Resources (a London-listed company), said that the company expects to begin producing gold in Zimbabwe from its "greenfield" project by 2028. Ariana Resources' Dokwe Project, located about 110 kilometres north-west from Bulawayo (Zimbabwe’s second largest city), is a 'large-scale greenfield' project. South Africa has a rich history of gold mining, but it has been unable to attract substantial investment after international mining companies such as Rio Tinto, Delta Gold, and Kinross left the country more than 20 years ago due to a political crisis and economic crisis. A few mid-tier miners and many small-scale...

Holcim Group, a Swiss building materials company, announced on Sunday that it intends to sell its Philippines operations to Huaxin Building Materials of China in a deal worth at least $807,000,000. Holcim is selling an initial 68% stake at $527 million. The remainder will be sold in the following three to five year period for a price minimum of $280million. Holcim stated that this would result in an overall valuation $807 million. However, the figure may rise "based upon incremental value creation over?this time period". This sale is Holcim's largest divestment, since the $1 billion deal it made with Huaxin...