Energy

In spite of the ongoing uncertainty fed by the still-pending passage of the long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill, stronger forecasts for offshore production and a renewed focus on processing facilities bode well for Nigeria’s ever-important energy sector.

Encouraged by the rapid development of its nascent oil sector – which began production in record time and helped push GDP growth up to 13.6% in 2011 – Ghana is hoping to cash in equally as quickly on its natural gas reserves but is still navigating the sizeable infrastructural hurdles that need to be overcome in the short term.

As Oman looks to renewable energy as a way to meet the increasing calls on its national electricity grid, investors are eyeing the Sultanate as a base for the production of technology needed to convert the rays of the sun into energy and profits.

Coal production continues to rise in Mongolia amid the ongoing development of large mining projects aimed at increasing regional demand, yet the energy sector has also began exploring greener alternatives.

With demand for electricity and water rising quickly, authorities in Abu Dhabi have taken steps to reduce consumption, including the introduction of a billing system that will indicate usage more clearly to consumers. Meanwhile, a recent study by an international consultancy firm shows that the introduction of some power-saving techniques could reduce electricity demand in the UAE by up to 50%.

La compagnie pétrolière nationale publique algérienne, la Sonatrach, est passée à la vitesse supérieure dans son plan de développement qui prévoit 68 milliards de dollars d’investissements en 4 ans : elle a en effet signé un accord avec un consortium mené par la compagnie pétrolière espagnole Repsol pour le développement d’un projet gazier comportant six nouveaux champs dans la région de Reggane Nord.