Tanzania’s Countrywide Push for Oil and Gas Exploration

State-owned Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) is set to start issuing invitations to tender next month for a variety of upstream-related work that includes offers to participate in exploration in the south and north of the country.

In early August, it plans to release bid documents to companies keen to partner TPDC in exploring the Mnazi Bay North and West Songo Songo licenses in the south of the country and Eyasi-Wembere in the north, where 150 kilometres of 2D seismic data needs to be acquired.

Offers would be due for submission on 23 August for the southern acreage and a day later for the northern block, with awards pencilled in for the 18 and 19 September, respectively.

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On 12 September, a separate ITT will be issued for the acquisition, processing and interpretation of 306 square kilometres of 3D seismic data over West Songo Songo.

On the same date, TPDC aims to release an ITT covering a 150-kilometre 2D survey in the Manonga area, south of Lake Victoria.

These two survey contracts are forecast to be awarded on 30 October.

On 19 September, bid documents will be released for a 142-square kilometre 3D shoot in Mnazi Bay North, targeting an award on 5 November.

One week later, bidding will open on a contract calling for 25,000 square kilometres of 3D seismic data to be acquired in TPDC-operated offshore blocks 4/1B and 4/1C.

This contract is scheduled for award on 12 November.

During October and November, consultancy services related to all these proposed seismic operations are due to be tendered along with consultancy services concerned with exploration drilling plans for West Songo Songo, Mnazi Bay North and the two deep-water blocks.

Separately, TPDC is assessing responses to an expression of interest it issued last month for a consultant needed to study and review the country’s Model Production Sharing Agreement, 2013.

The work — which will be carried out on behalf of Tanzania’s Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority — will be partly funded by the African Development Bank.

The successful consultant will be charged with improving the MPSA 2013 in order to come up with something more competitive in the global arena.

Also in Tanzania, the Ministry of Energy is evaluating responses from consultants to an EoI covering a baseline survey for the participation of Tanzanians in the oil and gas industry in Mtwara, Lindi and other coastal areas.

Mtwara, located close to the Mozambican border, is the chief logistics and marine base for offshore operations while Lindi, further to the north, will host a multi-train liquefied natural gas project.

The ministry has received funds from the World Bank to implement an energy sector capacity-building project which will be underpinned by data from the baseline survey.