The Democratic Republic of the Congo has obtained a license for three natural gas blocks in Lake Kivu on its eastern border. Some production is expected to begin early next year. The Hydrocarbon Ministry said on Monday.
The Makelele block was awarded to Symbion Power’s local subsidiary, RED, in the US, the Idjwi block went to another US company, Winds Exploration and Production LLC. The Lwandjofu block was won by Alfajiri Energy in Canada.
The production sharing contract will be signed within 15 days, Hydrocarbons Minister Didier Budimbu told Reuters. He said he hoped the Symbion Power block would start production in 2024.
Congo hopes to emulate neighboring Rwanda and uses the vast amounts of methane beneath the lake to generate electricity that can be used for firefighting, fertilizer production, and cement. can be used to cook in the household as well
Symbion Power Chief Executive Paul Hinks told Reuters that production next year might be possible. “If everything goes well”
The process, he said, is required to tap the saturated gases in the lake water more than 400 meters below the surface.
The gas block auction is part of a licensing cycle that includes 27 onshore oil blocks. Some of the oil blocks are in the rainforests and peatlands of the Congo. cause environmental concerns
Budimbu said the oil block tender was due to end on Jan. 29, but he was considering postponing the deadline to allow more blocks to be allocated.
