Via Linnea Lueken
The media and represent at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in 2022 it was stated that many countries in Africa, often subjected to extreme weather, are hungry for climate change initiatives. such as decarbonization by banning the use of fossil fuels and so-called sustainable investments. This is not entirely true. Recent news about Africa’s upcoming oil exploration and drilling projects makes it clear that, despite the noise at COP27, Africa is actively developing fossil fuels.
A recent RigZone article, “Upstream Africa revival and 26 drilling campaigns set for 2023,” discusses oil and gas projects currently under development in oil-rich Nigeria, Chad, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
“[2023] “We will see a resurgence upstream in Africa and the launch of several multi-well drilling campaigns across southern and western parts of the continent,” RigZone wrote.
RigZone reports that at least 26 new drilling campaigns have started in Africa this year, including:
- In Zimbabwe, sites around the Cabora Bassa basin are predicted to hold up to 1.2 billion barrels of oil and at least five potential projects are under development.
- The Orange Basin in South Africa, which borders Namibia, is experiencing new activity and interest, and may contain at least one potential field containing some 350 million barrels of oil.
- Estimates from companies that have explored Namibia’s potential oil reserves are that the country has 30 billion barrels of crude oil reserves, with some drilling projects due to begin there in February.
- A major operation in Chad is underway, Savannah Energy plans to drill 12 new wells each year until 2030. Chad has approximately 1.5 billion barrels of proven reserves.
- Nigeria, Africa’s second-largest oil producer today, is set to open new shallow- and deep-water drilling operations in its reserves by 2023.
Revenue from oil and gas development is a boon for developing African countries. These projects are underway despite recent efforts to invest in Environment, Society and Governance (ESG), as well as carbon credit programpartly aimed at stifling fossil fuel development in Africa by cutting the funding needed for projects there.
Reliable fossil fuels that have proven important for decades to the development and operation of modern health facilities, safe drinking water, large-scale agriculture and more than 4000 products and amenities used every day in rich developed countries. As discovered in Climate realism, here, hereand here, for example, the use of oil and gas and the revenue from the sale of oil can help African countries mitigate the effects of disasters and recover when they occur. And modern petroleum- and gas-based fertilizers have greatly increased the food production of African nations, reducing hunger and malnutrition there, as discussed. here, hereand hereFor example.
Despite the pressure from international agencies, foreign governments and NGOs, African countries appear to be promoting new oil and gas projects, including pipeline infrastructure, to take advantage of the abundant natural resources that the continent is endowed with. This is good. RigZone is absolutely right when it comes to describing the reality of its desire to continue on-the-ground oil and gas development in Africa.
Linnea Lueken is a Research Fellow with the Arthur B. Robinson Center for Climate and Environmental Policy. As a Heartland Institute intern in 2018, she co-authored the Heartland Institute Policy Brief “Unmasking Four Persistent Myths About Hydraulic Fracture”.
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