Energy

As hydrocarbons production in maturing blocks has declined and domestic energy consumption has increased, the Indonesian government has been looking for ways to boost investment in the country’s upstream oil and gas sector. Some of the measures the government has undertaken have proved effective at attracting investors, including increased incentives and a more flexible production sharing contract (PSC) framework introduced in 2008. However, regulations that were implemented in early January 2011 may have the opposite effect.

For a country that a few years ago was pumping less than 1000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), Ghana’s upstream oil and gas industry has undergone a massive change. As it begins only its second year of production, Ghana’s oil segment is poised to earn GHS1.24bn ($827.85m) in revenue in 2012, while accelerating activity in the gas sector in the coming months will help improve both the sustainability of the hydrocarbons industry as well as the country’s balance sheet.

The Omani government is moving forward with plans to raise prices for natural gas in an effort to recalibrate the supply-and-demand equation, with local demand for the feedstock rising rapidly on the back of industrial expansion and domestic supplies limited.

La production marocaine de phosphates et de produits dérivés, comme les engrais, devrait connaître une hausse considérable. En effet, l’Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), qui détient le monopole de l’exploitation des phosphates au Maroc, vient de lancer un vaste programme d’investissement, dont le financement sera en grande partie assuré par l’introduction en bourse d’obligations.

At the high-profile Black Sea Energy and Economy Forum, Turkey’s top leadership expressed strong rhetorical support for the Nabucco gas pipeline project, while reminding Europe that the country plays the key role in Nabucco’s success and implying that more serious consideration needs to be given to its EU membership bid.

The face of Abu Dhabi’s oil industry could be set for a major makeover, with long established international operators facing increased competition for existing concessions and new contracts due to be agreed in coming years. In particular, energy-hungry Asian states are queuing up to gain access to the emirate’s oil fields.