Africa

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...

Two Pakistani sources claim that Pakistan is quietly mediating between Libya’s rival eastern-western?power centers. This effort, which was previously unknown, will raise Pakistan's diplomatic profile, if successful. The Pakistani involvement comes after months of monitoring a U.S. led push to find diplomatic solutions in Libya. The Trump administration has repeatedly credited Pakistan's role in separate mediation between Iran and the U.S. This year. One of the Pakistani source said that the U.S. had been "fully aware and engaged" with Islamabad’s Libya role. Both sources confirmed that Saudi Arabia was also supporting the effort. Islamabad and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual...

Nigeria's 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote refinery has imported ?2 million barrels of crude ?from ADNOC of the United Arab Emirates, ?traders told , ?marking its first ?such purchases ?of crude from the Middle Eastern producer. As demand in Asia has weakened and global crude markets have weakened dramatically, the purchases are being made at a time when the Middle East crude market is able to supply more Middle Eastern crude due to the 'U.S. Iran ceasefire' earlier this month. Three sources have confirmed that Dangote imported a cargo of Umm Lulu oil and another?of Das or Murban in June. The Dangote refinery...

On Tuesday, the United Nations urged major artificial intelligence companies to disclose their full environmental costs and use renewable energy in their data centres. He also launched a transparency project for the sector. Environmental groups have criticized the rapid growth of data centres to fuel AI for their excessive energy and water use and lack of transparency. In a speech at London Climate Action Week, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated that by 2030 they could use enough power to satisfy the basic needs for all 1.3 billion sub-Saharan Africans for an entire year. As he launched the U.N. AI...

According to LSEG and market sources, Russia's seaborne exports of oil products fell 15% a month on a monthly basis to about 3.3 mt in the first 15 days of June. This was due to?unplanned maintenance?following repeated ukranian drone attacks. Shipping data shows that the number of diesel loadings at the Baltic port Primorsk - Russia's main outlet for ultra-low sulphur fuel (ULSD) – dropped by 18% to 520,000 tonnes in the first half of June compared with the same period last year. Ukraine has intensified drone strikes on Russia's energy infrastructure, with the number of oil refining facilities targeted...

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...

ArcelorMittal South Africa announced on Thursday that its?half-year loss had increased by a staggering?47%, as the 'business was weighed down by a sluggish steel price and a surge in steel imports mainly from China. The South African division of steelmaker ArcelorMittal reported a headline loss?1.489 billion Rand ($89.29 millions) for the six-month period ended June 30. The company had reported a loss of?1.014bn rand in the previous year. The company is battling a weak 'local demand', high electricity prices as well as competition from South African scrap metal recycling micro-mills as well as imports from China. ArcelorMittal South Africa confirmed...

The major Gulf stock markets fell in early trading on Tuesday as investors awaited U.S. Federal Reserve policy decisions and developments in the Iran Conflict, although ongoing corporate earnings provided some support. The majority of Gulf?Cooperation Council nations,?including?UAE?, have their currencies pegged against the U.S. Dollar and closely follow the Fed?s policy, exposing them to the direct effect of monetary tightening on the world?s largest economy. The Fed ends its two-day session on Wednesday. CME FedWatch?shows that 62% of policymakers are likely to keep rates the same, and 38% are expecting a minimum 25-basis point increase. This is up from...

Investors weighed the escalating tensions in the region and an array of corporate earnings announcements as they viewed major stock markets in Gulf in early trade on Thursday. The?U.S. The?U.S. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards reported that an oil tanker was set ablaze after an explosion occurred while trying to navigate what they described as a "mined" route near the coast of Oman in the southern Strait of Hormuz. Two other tankers returned. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index fell 0.1% due to a 0.9% drop in the Saudi National Bank, the largest lender of the country. However, ?oil major Saudi Aramco gained...

Guinea's bauxite exports rose 15% in the first half if?2026 to a new record high, according to official data. This was due to strong Chinese demand, despite increasing pressure on smaller producers because of rising fuel and shipping costs. Bauxite feedstock is used to make alumina. Alumina is an important ingredient in aluminum, which can be found in many industries, including transport, construction, and packaging. Guinea, which is the largest bauxite supplier in the world, exported 114.8 million tons between January and the end of June. This was up from 99.8 millions tons a year ago, according to data released...

An official stated on Friday that Zimbabwe's only lithium sulphate facility, owned by China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt?, has no capacity to process minerals from other producers. This is ahead of an export ban for concentrates next year. Africa's largest lithium producer will implement a ban in January to encourage miners to process the battery metal at home, creating higher-valued export earnings and more jobs?in its economy. The government told lithium miners to send their concentrates directly to local plants. One of the plants in Zimbabwe, owned by Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and operated by Prospect Lithium -Zimbabwe has not yet been...

Zambia is preparing for an upcoming?election on August, where President Hakainde Hichilema has a good chance of winning a second term. However, opposition leader Brian Mundubile may be a strong challenger. The vote is shaping up to be a referendum on?Hichilema’s economic record, since he assumed office in 2021 and inherited a country that was reeling from an sovereign debt default. After restructuring its debts, Africa's second largest copper producer enjoyed an economic recovery supported by high copper price, but many people are still squeezed by their cost of living. The opposition will seek to exploit this. Zambia's annual inflation...

A World Health Organization official stated on Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak in Congo is not stabilised yet and continues to spread as population movements fuel transmission. The Democratic Republic of Congo confirmed 1,561 cases and 506 deaths in the worst outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo?Ebola species, for which no cure or treatment has been proven. Unfortunately, it is still in an expansion phase. "We would like to be able to say that it has stabilized, but we can't say this yet," Anne Ancia told reporters via video link, WHO representative for Congo. She was in Bunia at the epicenter...

South32, an Australian company, announced on Wednesday that it had agreed to sell the'majority' of its aluminium assets for up to $5.6 billion. Alcoa acquired the individual interests of the diversified mining company in Australia's Worsley Alumina, South Africa’s Hillside Aluminium and Brazil's MRN Bauxite Mine, Brazil Alumina Refinery, and Brazil Aluminium Smelter. South32 said that the U.S. aluminium giant will also assume rehabilitation provisions of around $1.2 billion. Matthew Daley, the new CEO, said that "our business will be simpler, with a portfolio of upstream operations with higher margins, reduced complexity, and greater resilience." This will allow for a...

CopperTech Metals announced a delay in its U.S. initial public offering on Tuesday. The company cited volatility in the global copper equity sector. Postponement is despite a resurgence in investor appetite for new listings. This has been bolstered by buoyant equity market and several blockbuster initial public offerings. Copper prices are volatile due to the expectations of new U.S. Tariffs, and the supply restrictions that will be imposed in response to the surge in AI-related demand. After a review, U.S. commerce secretary Howard Lutnick will?update the president on the refined copper?market and domestic refining capacity on Tuesday. Global X Copper...

Guinea's mines minister said that the country aims to be a regional hub for gold refining. This is part of a wider push by West African producers to 'process bullion locally instead of exporting it into the Middle East. Gold prices are high, and the move aims to preserve more value for consumers at home. Bouna Sylla, Mines Minister Bouna Sylla said over the weekend that there was no problem if each country (in West Africa) had a refinery. "If you are not competitive in the market, your refinery will either fail or succeed due to economics and not politics."...