African oil and gas exploration will look southwards

Subject African oil and gas exploration. Significance Stakeholders in the African oil industry met in Cape Town in early November, for the annual Africa Oil Week conference, amid speculation of new prospects in South Africa and Namibia. While several countries in West and Central Africa are offering acreage in licensing rounds, oil and gas companies are focused on upcoming wells in Southern Africa, which will dictate decisions on companies’ future exploration focus. Impacts Exploration success for Southern Africa’s most watched wells could bring an investment boost to new areas, such as South Africa. Angola and Nigeria will try pushing reforms and new licensing to revive a largely moribund exploration sector to renew reserves and growth. IOCs will need more reassurance before committing to new Nigerian investment after Buhari's failure in 2018 to sign a key industry bill.

Significance Total in February announced the “significant” new Brulpadda discovery in the Outeniqua Basin, which is estimated to include potentially 1 billion barrels of global resources, gas and condensate light oil. The company will return to the seas off South Africa in December for further drilling to assess Brulpadda’s potential. Impacts An upturn in oil and gas exploration activity offshore will benefit ports and service industries, raising the chances of more discoveries. Brulpadda could have positive impacts on the domestic power sector, but this will be unclear until appraisal has been completed. The discovery could provide new feedstock for the Mossel Bay gas-to-liquids plant which is running at less than half capacity.


Significance As in 2020 and 2021, this projected growth will be driven by the ongoing expansion of the oil and gas sector, and related investment and state revenues. These rising revenues will support the government’s ambitious national development plans, which include both increased social and infrastructure spending. Impacts The government will prioritise enhancing the oil and gas investment framework. Investment into joint oil and gas infrastructure with Suriname will benefit the growing oil industry in both countries. The expansionary fiscal policy may lead to a rise in inflation, leading to further calls for wage increases. In the medium term, strong growth in the oil and gas sector could lead to increased climate change activism in the country.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 917-962 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.S. Reddy ◽  
En Xie ◽  
Yuanyuan Huang

Purpose Drawing attention to the significant number of unsuccessful (abandoned) cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions in recent years, the purpose of this paper is to analyze three litigated cross-border inbound acquisitions that associated with an emerging economy – India, such as Vodafone-Hutchison and Bharti Airtel-MTN deals in the telecommunications industry, and Vedanta-Cairn India deal in the oil and gas exploration industry. The study intends to explore how do institutional and political environments in the host country affect the completion likelihood of cross-border acquisition negotiations. Design/methodology/approach Nested within the interdisciplinary framework, the study adopts a legitimate method in qualitative research, that is, case study method, and performs a unit of analysis and cross-case analysis of sample cases. Findings The critical analysis suggests that government officials’ erratic nature and ruling political party intervention have detrimental effects on the success of Indian-hosted cross-border deals with higher bid value, listed target firm, cash payment, and stronger government control in the target industry. The findings emerge from the cross-case analysis of sample cases contribute to the Lucas paradox – why does not capital flow from rich to poor countries and interdisciplinary M&A literature on the completion likelihood of international takeovers. Practical implications The findings have several implications for multinational managers who typically involve in cross-border negotiations. The causes and consequences of sample cases would help develop economy firms who intend to invest in emerging economies. The study also offers some implications of M&A for telecommunications and extractive industries. Originality/value Although a huge amount of extant research investigates why M&A fail to create value to the shareholders during the public announcement and post-merger stages, there is a significant dearth of research on the causes and consequences of delayed or abandoned national and international deals. The paper fills this knowledge gap by discussing an in-depth cross-case analysis of Indian-hosted cross-border acquisitions.


1983 ◽  
Vol 2 (S1) ◽  
pp. 133-139
Author(s):  
Richard Fuchs

In response to interest and concerns about the effect which oil industry development would have in the province of Newfoundland, a number of studies were initiated, including attempts to assess the impacts on rural residents. An analysis of the offshore labour force indicated that Newfoundland residents represented 60% of the offshore force; however, their participation was predominantly in the junior drilling, junior marine and junior service positions. The provincial workers differed from the non-resident workers on a number of factors. Also of interest, the 35% of the Newfoundland workers interviewed had come from water transport occupations and were attracted by the perceived advantages of work in the oil industry, while the 34% who had come from the fishing industry, cited financial insecurity and poor working conditions of the fishery as their reasons for changing jobs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-139
Author(s):  
Susan Shortland

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how female expatriates mobilise couples’ dual-career coordination strategic choices to achieve their own and their partners’ desired career goals. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative research is based upon in-depth interviews with 20 dual-career female expatriates working in two case study oil and gas organisations. Findings Female expatriates use a series of tactics ranging from cooperation in maintaining a dual-career hierarchy, through to coordinating aspects of their own and their partners’ assignments, undertaking compatible industry roles and co-working (working together in the same organisation) to attempt to achieve a greater egalitarian international dual-career strategic outcome. Research limitations/implications This case analysis was based on a relatively small sample of female expatriates in heterosexual relationships working in oil and gas exploration. Further research in different sectors, with larger samples, and with male expatriates is also needed. Practical implications Employers should minimise periods of separation by focussing on coordinated assignment timings for both partners, facilitate suitable employment for both partners who wish to work abroad, and prioritise securing partner work visas. Social implications The inability to pursue desired dual-careers together while undertaking international assignments can be detrimental to couples’ relationships, potentially leading to unwillingness to expatriate and thereby deliver necessary skills in the host country. Originality/value The originality lies in identifying the tactics women use to enact dual-career coordination strategies, including coordinating assignment timings and locations to reduce separation and pursuing compatible roles to achieve egalitarian career and relationship outcomes. While women expected co-working in the same firm to facilitate dual-career mobility, its career outcomes were disappointing.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 21-23

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how female expatriates mobilize couples’ dual-career coordination strategic choices to achieve their own and their partners’ desired career goals. Design/methodology/approach The researcher initially contacted 45 expatriate women in heterosexual relationships by email. More detailed interviews were done verbally with 20 of the women. The participants were asked to explain what actions they had taken, and also the effectiveness of any employer support, to maintain two successful careers Findings The women working were often angry and disappointed with their organizations’ lack of support for their dual career strategies. They adopted strategies of their own to further mutual careers while keeping relationships on track. One is to work with their organizations to secure favorable employment conditions that minimize periods of separation and, if possible, facilitate suitable employment for their partners. A second strategy is to develop personal tactics of cooperation and coordination Originality/value The results are a demonstration to the oil and gas industry that they need to do more to support dual career couples, or they will lose out on a lot of talent.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Reza Moniri ◽  
Akbar Alem Tabriz ◽  
Ashkan Ayough ◽  
Mostafa Zandieh

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a new framework for assessing the risks of turnaround projects in upstream oil process plants. Design/methodology/approach This study represents a new hybrid framework for turnaround project risk assessment. First, according to experts’ opinions, the project risks were identified using interviews and brainstorming. The most important risks selected by experts and a hybrid multiple-attribute decision-making (MADM) method used to assess and prioritize them. The proposed MADM method uses fuzzy step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) and fuzzy evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS) methods based on trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Findings In this research, 28 usual risks of turnaround projects are identified and 10 risks are then selected as the most important ones. The findings show, that among the risks of upstream oil industry turnaround projects from the perspective of experts, the risk of timely financing by the employer, with an appraisal score of 0.83, has the highest rank among the risks and the risk of machine and equipment failure during operation, with an appraisal score of 0.04, has the lowest rank. Research limitations/implications The risk analysis based on inputs collected from the experts in the Iranian upstream oil industry, and so the generalization of the results is limited to the context of developing countries, especially oil producer ones. However, the proposed risk analysis methodology and key insights developed can be useful for researchers and practitioners in any other process industry everywhere. Originality/value A novel framework for risk assessment is introduced for turnaround projects in the oil industry using MADM methods. There is no literature on using MADM methods for turnaround project risk analysis in the oil and gas industries. Furthermore, this paper presents a hybrid fuzzy method based on SWARA and EDAS.


Subject Mexico's massive untapped shale oil and gas reserves. Significance Mexico has enough 'tight oil' and gas reserves to make the country energy independent again, according to some estimates. However, finding and developing those reserves will be a long, costly and high-risk endeavour. Unfortunately for Mexico's energy policymakers, the oil price crash has sapped the industry's appetite and ability to take on the challenge. It will be years before Mexico's shale industry regains the momentum that had started to build before the oil industry downturn. Impacts Mexico will grow increasingly reliant on US natural gas imports, providing opportunities for pipeline and other infrastructure builders. Shale development could bring economic development to some of Mexico's poorest regions. A growing crop of domestic oil companies stands to gain from tight oil production.


Subject Divisions in financial institutions. Significance The finance ministry of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) on December 21 called for an urgent meeting of the board of the Central Bank of Libya. More effective financial institutions could provide a strong basis for political reunification and economic revival. Yet the political crisis, corruption and pre-existing weaknesses undermine these institutions. Impacts The GNA will struggle to finance consistent basic services and implement coherent economic policies. Libyans will continue to lose confidence in the GNA, especially if the economy does not pick up. The NOC will still court international oil and gas companies to attract new investment.


Subject Prospects for Africa's economies to end-2016. Significance The IMF's most recent forecast of 3% GDP growth for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in 2016 represents a significant cut from the 4.25% it expected in October 2015. This is a consequence of sharp slowdowns in the region's two largest economies, Nigeria and South Africa, droughts in previously buoyant economies (notably in eastern and southern Africa), a variety of idiosyncratic shocks and a prolonged commodity price downturn.


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