Connection for New Natural gas Pipeline from Mtwra will Led To Electricity Blackout


MANY parts of the country connected to the national grid will experience electricity blackout on Monday as all gas-powered turbines will be switched-off to pave way for connection of the new natural gas pipeline from Mtwara.
The Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco)’s Managing Director, Engineer Felchesmi Mramba, said the power interruptions will persist for the rest of the week though on smaller extent.
“For the whole of tomorrow (today), gas fired plants will be turned off to allow technicians to connect the new pipeline to new plants at Ubungo,” Engineer Mramba said after a brief tour at Kinyerezi 1 and Ubungo gas plants in Dar es Salaam.
The new plants to be supplied with gas from Mtwara include (Symbion 112MW) and Plant number 2, both at Ubungo area as well as Kinyerezi 1 (150MW).
Plants to be affected by the shut down tomorrow are those supplied with gas from Songo Songo and they include Songas (184MW), Ubungo Plant number 1 (100MW) and Tegeta plant (45MW).
The power-utility boss said the power interruptions are expected to last, though on smaller extent, until September 15, when installations work will be completed.
Natural gas discoveries in Tanzania stand at over 50 trillion cubic feet (tcf) and the resource produces over 40 per cent of power supplied to the national grid while hydro-power and diesel-fired plants account for the remaining percentage.
As the country focuses on gas for power generation, the Tanesco boss assured the public of reliable power and stable prices.
“I would like to apologise to our customers for the interruptions they will face during the next one week but, thereafter, the country will have reliable electricity,” Engineer Mramba noted.
Earlier, the Managing Director of the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), Dr James Mataragio, explained that as of yesterday, transportation of gas from Madimba Processing Plant in Mtwara has clocked 3 bars.
“For power generation to commence, we require between 50 and 55 bars of natural gas, which will be realised in the next one week since we are still pumping gas in the pipeline,” Dr Mataragio stated.
With the use of natural gas for power production, the country is expected to save almost one billion US dollars (about 2 trilion/-) which has been used to purchase fuel to operate diesel-powered generation plants.
Construction of the 532-kilometre gas pipeline from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam is expected to allow the country to double its power generation capacity to 3,000MW by next year and the government looks forward to boost the capacity to at least 10,000MW by 2025.

Read more…

See Why Discovery of Natural gas in Tanzania Could not bring Too Many Jobs To Tanzanians as they believe




Few weeks ago i got  the text from Tanzanian  who is studying Petroleum engineering in among  of university in China, He was curious to know  about the employment opportunity in natural gas sector in Tanzania? And this is why  i am writing this article.

You know many people believe the discovery of natural gas could give Tanzanians millions of job opportunities, they think, their sons, relatives or themselves can be  employed in  natural gas industry.This  is definetly  untrue. So to day, this article    will clear up  this  common misconception

Oil and gas sector is highly capital intensive industry with risky operations. And Due to the investment of high capital, the oil companies do not prefer to have a large number of employee in order  to make reasonable profit. In the currently findings released by Twaweza organization in a research brief tittled “Great expectation citizens views on the gas sector” shows that, average citizens expect four millon job opportunities from natural gas industry. Their expectation  is beyond of the real situation. Tanzanians can find an example of country like Norway, though of its massive discovery of natural resources,  they  have only 240,000  employee  in their  gas sector. 

You can imagine, Tanzanians expect four millions job in gas sector while Norwagians who currently employed in gas sector is only 240,000. I hope you will agree with me that, the perception of many Tanzanian citizen to get job in gas sector is unrealistic. 

MY FINAL WORDS
 Citizen might be be employed in this sector, but is not at large number  as many citizens believe, few people they could get employment and not many of them. This is the right time for Tanzanians to be aware on this particular matter.

Read more…

Ministry Of Energy To Set Up Special Local Content on Oil and Gas Sector




The Ministry of Energy and Minerals plans to set up a special local content on gas and oil unit to enable the public easily access information on various issues concerning the sector.
Senior Supplies Officer (Local Content) at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Ms Neema Lungangira made the revelation in Dar es Salaam during a seminar organised by Twaweza Organisation to present and discuss the report titled ‘Great Expectations On Gas Sector And Relevant Policies’.
“Government through the ministry is setting up various strategies to enable the citizens fully participate in the oil and gas sector and one of the strategies is the establishment of the special local content unit,” she said.
Among the issues to be tackled under the unit will include public awareness creation, providing knowledge of public participation in the sector.
The unit will be established under the local content policy and will focus on the providing information from the key document on the sector.
According to the report presented by Twaweza at the seminar, citizens do not have access to full information about Tanzania’s gas sector.
Presenting the report, Executive Director of Twaweza, Mr Aidan Eyakuze said that 53 per cent of citizens think that gas from the new offshore discoveries is already flowing with some thinking that both government and foreign companies are already earning revenues from the gas.
The report based on data from ‘Sauti za Wananchi’ Africa’s first nationally representative high frequency mobile survey also indicate that citizens expect four million jobs and 7.5m/- each from gas deposits.
The report which shows that citizens are significantly misinformed about the potential of the country’s deposits, show that 59 per cent of citizens think that natural gas deposits will improve their lives and a similar (58 per cent) expect government to invest gas revenue into public services.

Read more…

Tpdc has Awarded Ion A Contract For Seismic Survey in Ruvuma Delta Region


 ION Geophysical Corporation has announced that the TPDC has awarded ION a contract to acquire 4,058 km of 2D seismic, gravity and magnetic data over offshore blocks 4/1B and 4/1C in the Rovuma Delta region. The award follows an international tender, number PA/031/2014-15/W/06, for a 2D multi-client survey, to be known as 'TPDC Phase I 2015', that is planned to be acquired in fourth quarter 2015.
"We are very excited on the commencement of this program, which is part of a broader campaign aimed at adding value to all of TPDC assets, both onshore and offshore," Dr James Mataragio, Managing Director of TPDC, commented. "This survey and three other surveys carried onshore are 100% funded by TPDC. This marks an important step for TPDC, as a National Oil Company, to begin fully focusing on exploration, development and production. Blocks 4/1B and 4/1C are 100% owned and operated by TPDC, and this new seismic data will be used to assist TPDC with a competitive farmout process, details of which will be announced at a later date."
Joe Gagliardi, Senior Vice President of ION's Ventures group, added, "ION is delighted to have been awarded this contract, which represents a further phase of seismic acquisition, processing and interpretation services to be provided by ION in support of the government's hydrocarbon exploration strategy."

Read more…

See Why in Tanzania there is the biggest increases in Demand for Natural gas

      



The aboundance of natural gas reserves in Tanzania  attracts many investors , contractors, equipment suppliers  and consultant firms to offer business opportunities  in Tanzania.  This  implies that, natural gas will continue  to play an increasingly important role in meeting demand for energy in Tanzania.

       There are many reasons for the long term expected  increase in demand for natural gas in Tanzania, which include the following.
1.Increase  in the number of  New homes
New homes increase day after day, family size increase as well, as these new homes built, the consumption of natural gas mounts, and the number of families use natural gas to cook and heat them also increase.Therefore increase of new homes using natural gas is expected drive demand for Natural gas in Tanzania.

2.Expansion of gas based power generation
The largest addition to gas demand in Tanzania where the most of expansion of power are taking place.  forexample the construction of kinyerezi 1 gas fired power plants, they will be supplied gas from Mtwara through Mtwara-Dar es Salaam pipeline, So more gas will be needed to meet the demand as the result of natural gas demand increases.
3. Technological Advancements – Currently, the majority of energy used by the commercial sector is in the form of electricity. Similarly, many common household appliances can only run on electricity. The advancement of natural gas technology in the form of offering natural gas powered applications that may compete with these electric operated appliances may provide a huge increase in demand for natural gas. Natural gas cooling, combined heat and power, and distributed generation are expected to make inroads into those applications that have traditionally been served solely by electricity.

Transportation
Natural gas use in transportation are almost negligible.Although natural gas powered vehicles are very useful for reducing environment pollution compered to fuel powered vehicles. The demand for alternative vehicles fuel vehicles (Including natural gas vehicles) will increase demand in natural gas. Although to accomplish this, technology is required.

MY FINAL WORDS
This general increasing of natural gas demand in Tanzania can be expected to the general growth of economy of Tanzania and improving living standard of residents.

Dear readers we would love to hear your views on all of these



Read more…