Eastern Africa coast: An emerging fossil fuels giant

An oil rig. These monsters discover oil from the earth's bowels

THE ENTIRE EASTERN Africa coast is emerging as a fossils fuels giant. A flurry of finds of commercially viable deposits of oil and natural gas has spawned intense activity in exploration of these resources.

In the last decade or so, commercially viable oil deposits were found in South Sudan and Uganda. Natural gas has been found in Tanzania  while in Kenya an oil find announced this week, is awaiting commercial verification. There are reports of viable oil deposits in lawless Somalia.

Since it takes about three years or so to verify commercial viability, the implication here is by 2016/17, this region of an estimated population of 200 million people will be a major player in the world’s energy market. An exploration mapping high potential areas in Kenya, indicates that eastern Africa could rival some middle east oil producers.

The frequent discoveries raise confidence on the potential of the region’s fossil oil’s exploration. This is expected to attract more investments into exploration in eastern Africa. So far an estimated US$8 billion has been sunk in oil exploration since 2006. However, this figure is expected to rise as more explorers seek licenses to explore for oil and gas deposits.

 Tanzania  for example, will hold an oil exploration licensing round for 16 offshore blocks starting in September this year, reported Reuters. Some firms spend an estimated US$2 million a day in oil exploration in east Africa, say sources in the energy sector.   Tullow oil Plc, which discovered oil in Uganda, Kenya and Ghana is said to have sunk an estimated US$800 million in Uganda.

 It is not clear how much has sunk in Kenya where it has struck oil at the first well. The find, what they describe as 20 metres of net oil, was struck at 1,041 metres way below the expected depth of 2,700 metres. The company says it will still drill up to 2,700 metres.

Apart from spending on exploration, more investment is expected in construction of infrastructure, Including Refineries, Oil Pipeline, railroads, roads and other related infrastructure. See http://eaers.blogspot.com/2012/03/africa-high-return-ppp-market-of.html  .  In Uganda, reported the East African, the consortium led by Tullow oil Plc will sink another US$10 billion to build such infrastructure. Tanzania will invest some US$1.1 billion to build a gas transportation pipeline from Songo  Songo wells to Dar-Es-salaam, the capital city.

This is how to make Oil and Gas windfall a boon-Experts

Investing in Roads, housing and Water and
 electricity supplies among others 
would  benefit every one 

 COMMENTS IN RESPONSE to  my http://eaers.blogspot.com/2012/04/oil-and-gas-wealth-in-east-africa-boon.html  or comments on the subject matter is positive that well managed oil  and gas windfall can  boost development in east Africa. Many have suggested ways in which to turn the windfalls into a boon for the region. here is a synthesis of their views

One of the commentators, the President of the Africa Development Bank, AfDB, Donald Kaberuka is poignant.  He advised east Africa to avoid increasing recurrent expenditure and instead use the windfall on development expenditure. Mr. Kaberuka was speaking in an interview with the wire service, Reuters www.reuters.com. He argued that increasing recurrent expenditure, especially through sharp increases of public sector salaries will lead to high inflation and eventually conflict.

Economists and oil industry experts in Nairobi agree with this view. They argue that, the public sector is the single largest employer in east Africa. Sharp increases of public sector salaries, experts argue, will increase domestic demand for goods and services which in turn lead to high rates of inflation.

This is how it works: currently, there is a given stock of goods and services in the region. This stock ranges from food, to housing to schools and health facilities, to locally manufactured consumers goods, to power plants, oil refineries roads, railroads  similar infrastructure. In the short-run this stock is more or less fixed as it depends on the availability of other factors. To increase this stock will require expansion of production capacity and the infrastructure to produce and distribute the goods and services equitably.

Tanzania Stalls EA Monetary Union negotiations

President Jakaya Mrisho kikwete:
Combative  president combative Country?

Tanzanians have, as usual, stalled the negotiations on the creation of Monetary Union inEast Africa. Media reports say that the Tanzanian delegation to the task force on the creation of a monetary union, at Entebbe, Uganda, opposed every item in the background Paper.

The background paper will eventually become the protocol for the East African Monetary Union.  At the table for discussion was Article 24 which proposes a universal monetary and fiscal policy.

President Kibaki of Kenya:
The Giant of the region worrying Tanzania

The delegation also stalled article 17, which proposes that member states coordinate tax policies at the community level. This will require that partner states to disclose fiscal policies to other partner states.

These two proposals mean that member-states will have to cede some of their sovereign power to a regional authority such as an East African Central Bank and common Customs Authority.

The refusal by the Tanzanian delegation to discuss these issues did not surprise many Observers in the region. Tanzanian delegations have always stalled discussion on the creation of East African Common Market right from the start. At times, said a delegate familiar with Tanzanian attitude, “they just flatly refuse to discuss an issue, declaring an imaginary dispute.”

It is for this reason that the integration process has always virtually been forced downTanzania’s throat, says a source familiar with the process.

Beginning with the East African co-operation in the 1995 to the customs Union in 2005 and the East African Common Market in 2010, Tanzania is the reluctant partner, said the source. In fact, she agreed to the East African Common Market protocol when it became clear that other members were ready to leave her out.

Remove trade barriers, Kibaki urges EAC ministers

East Africa Community Musa Sirma (right) and EAC secretary general Richard Sezibera address a news conference at Laico Regency March 16, 2012. President Kibaki urged the EAC ministers to urgently remove barriers that hinder the free movement of people and goods within the region. PHOEBE OKALL 

President Kibaki has urged East Africa Community ministers to urgently remove barriers that hinder the free movement of people and goods within the region.

President Kibaki noted that some of the non-tariff barriers were so cumbersome that they inhibited intra-EAC trade.

"We cannot fully boast of regional integration when our people still cannot interact freely and do business without restrictions,” President Kibaki said Friday during a meeting with EAC ministers, who paid him a courtesy call at his Harambee House office.

The Head of State welcomed the decision that Kenyan trucks entering Tanzania will no longer be charged Sh16,000.

Non-bank primary dealers set for June in Uganda

Mutebile pointed out that demand for bonds and bills was more than twice that recorded in the years 2009 to 2011

By Samuel Sanya
THE central bank has announced a wave of reforms that will see non-bank institutions participate directly in Uganda’s thriving debt market come June this year.
Yields on Uganda’s three year treasury instruments have risen as high as 21% as the Bank of Uganda (BoU) battles high inflation through reducing money in circulation.
“The enhanced Central Securities Depository system is expected to go live by June this year….the debt reforms that will lead to the introduction of non-bank broker/dealers in the debt market are on-going,” said Emanuel Mutebile the BoU governor.
He was speaking at the Primary Dealer of the year award ceremony in Kampala where Stanbic Bank Uganda was pronounced winner for the year 2011. 
Mutebile pointed out that demand for bonds and bills was more than twice that recorded in the years 2009 to 2011 on the primary market with demand on the secondary market growing by 35%.
Uganda currently uses a primary dealer system where six banks are authorized to compete for treasury instruments from the central bank, later reselling the same to the public on the secondary market.
The Central bank intends to introduce a bond calendar to improve predictability and regularize debt issuance, in addition to upgrades of the banks Reuters system, website and Central Securities Depository system.
The changes will see the introduction of e-bidding, automated repo auctions, on-line secondary market trading, to enhance transparency while minimizing price distortions in the market.
Stephen Kaboyo, the BoU director for financial markets said that the reforms will enable investors to plan their cash flows better and diversify their investments.
He noted that brokerage firms, and pension funds have already expressed interest in joining the six banks in the primary dealer system.
Philip Odera, the Stanbic bank boss hailed the changes saying that reforms will widen and deepen participation in Uganda’s debt market, strengthening the economy in all ways.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/629499-non-bank-primary-dealers-set-for-june.html

Private sector keen on EAC trade

Workers prepare to load a cargo container on a ferry at Port Bell in Luzira. EAC recently launched a border management project to cut the cost of doing business in the region

By David Ssempijja
WITH the current hindrances to the flow of trade within the East African Community (EAC), there is a need to strengthen partnerships between private and public sectors to improve the region’s investment climate, a regional forum has observed.
A two-day investment forum held last week at Silver Springs Hotel in Kampala to define a regional framework for investment incentives for the EAC, attributed the persistent barriers to trade to the absence of a strong public-private partnership in trade promotion initiatives.
The chairman of the Uganda Allied Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (UACCIA), Chris Kyereere, told a press conference that the forum resolved to lobby EAC governments to promote the presence of the private sector arm in dealing with issues of trade facilitation.
Facilitating trade is about streamlining and simplifying international trade procedures to allow easier flow of goods national and international levels.
The private sector contends that there are overwhelming trade related tasks that the EAC governments cannot effectively handle in isolation of the private sector.
“We need to see governments getting more involved in giving fair contracts to private companies, ensuring that firms born within the EAC are prioritised over those from overseas to build the capacity of those locally established,” Kyereere said.
Amos Tindyebwa, an international consultant working with the Trade and Business Development Centre, noted that the private sector development strategy adopted in 2006 by the EAC had not adequately taken the public- private partnership approach into account to improve the region’s investment climate.

Tanzania Minerals Corp. provides operational update and announces grant of incentive stock options and change in corporate secretarial staff

VANCOUVER, Feb. 8, 2012 /CNW/ - Tanzania Minerals Corp. (the "Company"), (TSXV:TZM) (FRANKFURT: TM0.F) is pleased to provide an operational update with respect to exploration at its Mrangi and Mrangi South gold properties in the Lake Victoria Goldfields area of Tanzania.  Fourteen diamond drillholes, approximately 200 metres depth each, for a total of 2,673 metres, and 58 reverse circulation for a total depth of 8,598 metres have been drilled to date.  Drilling was conducted to determine the cause of arsenic and gold soil anomalies detected by traditional soil geochemistry exploration and multiple element anomalies (e.g., As, Cu, Zn) detected using a portable XRF unit over the same area.  The drilling reported in this release focused on secondary priority targets on the licence related to a strike extension of the Phoenix mine vein swarm and metal anomalism.  Results from initial drilling were reported in a press release dated October 14th, 2011.  Preliminary gold exploration on four licences in the Kagera Region has also been initiated.

Kal Matharu, CEO of Tanzania Minerals Corp. commented, "I am pleased with the latest results of our exploration program and the identification of the two new mineralized zones encountered.  I look forward to receiving the next assay results from the drilling program to test the lateral extent of the system."  He added, "Initial exploration on our Mrangi South and four Kagera Region gold licences is encouraging, and we eagerly await the results of the soil and lithogeochemical sampling programs."

Aminex reveals new gas find in Tanzania

StockMarketWire.com - Aminex has revealed a gas discovery at the Ntorya-1 exploration well in the Ruvuma Basin onshore in Tanzania. 

Aminex said that further to its update on 15 February, which reported strong gas shows in a good quality Cretaceous reservoir sand at a depth of 2,660 metres, the open hole has now been logged from total depth of 2,750 metres across the zone of interest. 

Electric logs show a gross sand interval of 25 metres between 2,660 metres and 2,685 metres with a three-metre net gas bearing pay zone in sandstones with 20% porosity at the top and a 16.5 metre thick lower sandstone interval with further possible gas pay. 

Proving the presence of reservoired hydrocarbons in Cretaceous sands in Ntorya-1 opens up the potential for additional plays in thick Mesozoic sands encountered by Aminex and partners in the Likonde-1 well just 14 kilometres north of the Ntorya-1 well. 

Tanzania securities to bail out Dar es Salaam stock market

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - Tanzania's Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) trading are expected to pick up because yields for fixed income securities and money market instruments keep on falling, thanks to easing tight money stance in the economy.

The stock exchange turnover last week dipped by almost 78% as money investors eyeing risk free government securities that in recently days offered handsome yields of between 13% and 18%.

On average stocks' dividend yields per year is around 10%. The Tanzania Securities Business Analyst Joel Nkya said, this week they anticipate improvement in the level of stocks activities following signs of coming down of treasury bills and bonds at primary market.

"Yields for fixed income securities and money market instruments keep on falling amid easing of the tight liquidity policy by the centre bank," said Mr. Nkya on the stock brokerage firm weekly report.

Tanzania NSSF to float shares to raise funds

Photo/Adam Ihucha NSSF Director General, Dr Ramadhan Dau: He said the pension fund will withhold some shares for its members.  

By ADAM IHUCHA Special Correspondent

Tanzania’s National Social Security Fund plans to sell shares in several companies it has a stake in.It is seeking to raise more funds to meet rising pension obligations and expand its portfolio.

The public pension manager says it will float shares at the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, giving investors a chance to own stocks in the companies.

The Fund is working out the details of which companies it is likely to divest from in an exercise sources said could happen later this year or by mid 2013.

Ramadhan Dau, NSSF Director General, said his team is currently finalising details on the shares to float and the amount of money it expects to raise before seeking approvals from market regulators.

Tanzania, Uganda in big oil & gas deals: British firm to invest $20b in Tanzania gas

The Tanzania Minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr William Ngeleja inaugurates the gas plant in Ubungo Dar es Salaam recently. (Photo by Leonard Magomba)

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - Massive  discoveries of natural gas to the offshore of Tanzania have attracted a number of international oil and gas explorers to venture into exploration project.

According to British Gas International (BGI), appraisal work showed that the offshore Tanzania contained about 3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the southern part of the country.

A British based firm, BGI, last week announced a massive investment plan in gas and to the Tanzanian economy as President Jakaya Kikwete said the government would make sure that the deal benefits both Tanzanians and investors.

The delegation of British investors which headed by the chairman of BGI, Sir Robert Wilson, last week briefed President Kikwete on a plan to put US$10 to US$20 billion in the economy to develop infrastructure to exploit the country's huge gas reserves.

"We are planning to invest between US$10b and US$20b in second half of this decade in gas and the Tanzanian economy," said Sir Wilson and adding, "Tanzania should prepare its economy to handle such an amount of money."

Wilson said the company has discovered huge reserves of natural gas in three wells including a deepwater one which were drilled in 2009 and last year in the Indian Ocean.

Tanzania Stock Market Commentary – Week Ending February 17, 2012

The Dar ALSI edged up 71bps to 1,310.3. The most actively traded stocks were NMB, Tanzania Breweries (+13.2% to 2,400) and CRDB Bank. The week’s top and only gainer was Tanzania Breweries. All other counters remained flat.

On the economic front, Tanzania’s year-on-year inflation rate for the month of January came in at 19.7%. This barely a relief from the inflation rate of 19.8% for the month of December.  Easing of inflationary pressure in the country as has been seen in the other East African countries may come much slower, with an expected rise in electricity costs of about 40%.

In company news, gold production in Tanzania by Africa Barrick Gold (ABG) fell by 2% in 2011 to 688,000 ounces. According to the company’s management the cost of production went up by 22% to USD 692 per ounce on the back of higher energy and labour costs. ABG projects gold production in 2012 to come in at between 675,000-725,000 ounces. The company is also considering investments in West and Northeast Africa through mergers and acquisition.

Source: African Alliance

Tanzania Stock Market Commentary – Week Ending February 3, 2012

Written by: Editorial Staff 

The Dar ALSI went up marginally by 5bps during the week to end at 1299.0. The week’s top trader was Twiga which accounted for 83% of the week’s turnover of TZS 1.3bn (USD 0.8m). Other actively traded counters were NMB, Simba Cement (-0.8% to TZS 2380), Tanzania Breweries (+1.0% to TZS 2060) and CRDB Bank. The week’s top gainers were Swissport (+3.6% to TZS 870) and Tanzania Breweries. Simba Cement was the week’s only declining stock.

In economic news, The IMF has forecast a decline in inflation to 9% in June, as a result of an expected drop in fuel prices and good harvests. High food and fuel prices resulted in inflation escalating to 19.8% as at December 2011. The IMF is advocating for tightening of the monetary and fiscal policies to aid in lowering of inflation. Economic growth is projected to ease to 6% on the back of power outages and a slowdown in the global economy.

Tanzania expects to make major commercial discoveries of natural gas over the next five years. The government is putting in place strategies to facilitate investments in this industry.

Source: African Alliance

Too Rich, Too Soon

By Jessica Silver-Greenberg | The Wall Street Journal Chris Kemper thought she was dreaming when she found out that her grandmother had left her $6 million when she died in October 2010.
But her elation quickly turned to terror when she realized she had no idea what to do with that life-changing fortune. "I was thrilled and so scared that I would bungle it," says Ms. Kemper, a 44-year-old finance executive who lives in Westchester, Ohio.
Despite the bitter economic downturn, one part of the American dream is alive and well: the possibility of sudden wealth. 
Examples abound. Consider David Choe, an artist who five years ago decided to accept payment in stock options from Facebook for painting murals in the then-fledgling firm's offices. He stands to realize as much as $200 million when the company goes public later this year.

Volatility Rising: How to Hedge the 2012 Rally

Volatility Rising: How to Hedge the 2012 Rally

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If you've caught the explosive rally since late last year you're left with a high class problem: how to lock in gains without incurring short-term gains tax or leaving yourself out of the market when stocks are still rising.More »Volatility Rising: How to Hedge the 2012 Rally

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