The Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, NJ Ayuk, has revealed that many of Africa’s existing gas production fields are declining.
According to Ayuk in the African Energy Chamber’s The State of African Energy 2024 Report, the continent’s gas production fields are quickly reaching the end of their productive lives.
The AEC chairman called on governments in Africa to explore their gas resources, noting that failure to do that might leave about 600 million Africans grappling with energy poverty.
He disclosed that for Africa to move forward and grow its natural gas output from 268 billion cubic metres, gas producers must continue to pump from existing fields while countries with discoveries must get undeveloped projects to the final investment decision stage as quickly as possible.
Giving a reason for the urgency, he worried, “Many of Africa’s existing gas production fields, particularly those in the north and west, are maturing or in decline, meaning they are quickly reaching the end of their productive lives.”
According to Ayuk, Nigeria, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea currently account for 85 per cent of the total gas output from the West Africa region until 2025.
“After that, (gas) levels will gradually decline to 75 per cent by 2030; 70 per cent by 2035, and 60 per cent by 2040. Although these fields are considered crucial for sustained production, the need for new projects to come online is critical to prevent a stall in output,” he stated.
While expressing hope that many major new gas finds had been announced in recent years in Senegal, Mauritania, Angola, Ghana, South Africa, Namibia, and the Ivory Coast, Ayuk noted that “these new gas discoveries will remain dormant potential unless African governments and gas producers come together quickly to forge realistic actionable plans to capitalise on these vast new resources”.
He declared that the existing gas fields along with newly discovered pre-final investment decision projects had the potential to supercharge output and allow Africa to realise its enormous natural gas potential.
He added that Nigeria had planned to increase its LNG infrastructure capacity from the existing 22 million metric tonnes per annum to 30mmtpa via the Nigeria LNG Train 7 development.
“African governments must do all they can to eliminate any restrictive red tape to ensure speedy turnarounds between hydrocarbon discoveries and FID. Otherwise, their countries will miss out on the major benefits their vast natural gas resources offer.
“Despite living on a continent with an abundance of untapped natural gas resources, energy poverty is a daily reality for over 600 million Africans. By harnessing our vast hydrocarbon resources, it’s possible to transform the quality of these people’s lives, industrialise their economies, build gas-to-power plants, create jobs, and provide energy for clean cooking, Ayuk remarked.
He urged African leaders to do the right thing for their people, saying, “Utilise the unique and lucrative opportunities natural gas offers, monetise your gas, grow your economies, and allow your people access to energy and a decent standard of living.”
