Swire Strengthens East African Presence with New Manager

Swire Oilfield Services, the leading global supplier of cargo carrying solutions, modular systems, offshore aviation services and fluid management, is strengthening its newly established presence in Kenya, East Africa with the appointment of Dan Davies as the new commercial manager. Dan will be responsible for the commercial activity across East Africa and further developing business in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar and the wider East African region.

The opening of an office in Kenya and the appointment of Dan comes as part of an overall growth strategy for Swire Oilfield Services in East Africa. The company is investing approximately $16 million (£10.5 million) in its rental fleet and infrastructure in the African Continent this year demonstrating its commitment to a region that provides an increasingly optimistic outlook created by a number of onshore and offshore discoveries.

Wayne Manning, general manager & director of Swire Oilfield Services Sub-Saharan Africa, said: "The East coast of Africa is one of the most exciting exploration areas in the region and bringing Dan onto the team will enhance Swire Oilfield Services offering. We have identified a growing demand for our quality equipment and services as a result of exploration inland on the great lakes and in remote and challenging locations.

"Activity both on and offshore is continuously growing. Oil and gas majors have recognised that the region is a hotspot frontier for reserves, with significant onshore discoveries in Uganda and Kenya by Tullow Oil and Total E&P as well as offshore oil and gas discoveries made in Kenya and Tanzania by BG Group Plc, Statoil and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation."

Swire Oilfield Services first began operations in Africa more than 10 years ago and now employs over 120 staff with recognition as the largest supplier of rental units across its other offices in Nigeria, Angola and Ghana. The organisation offers the highest specification, DNV 2.7-1 and EN 12079, across all of its certified reliably dynamic equipment including cargo carrying units, modular systems, fluid management and aviation services.

Globally, Swire Oilfield Services has in excess of 150 standard unit designs and has increased its fleet size by approximately 67 percent in the last six years from 34,000 to 57,000 cargo carrying units.

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BG, Statoil, ExxonMobil Further Boost East African Gas Resources

LONDON - BG Group PLC Monday said it had completed an appraisal program that further confirmed the natural gas resource and production potential offshore Tanzania, underscoring East Africa's importance as one of the energy industry's hottest new regions.

Separately, Statoil ASA and partner ExxonMobil Corp. announced Monday their third discovery in Block 2 offshore Tanzania.

The mounting volume of gas discoveries off the coast of East Africa has stimulated a wave of interest in the region, culminating in China National Petroleum Corp.'s $4.21 billion acquisition last week of 20% of Eni SpA's giant Mozambique offshore natural gas field.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. has also attracted interest from several companies including Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, India's state-run Oil & Natural Gas Corp. and Oil India Ltd. with the offer of a share of its natural gas discoveries offshore Mozambique, people familiar with the matter told Dow Jones Newswires last week.

BG Group said testing on its Jodari-1 field offshore Tanzania showed better-than-expected reservoir properties, demonstrating that wells could produce at higher rates. BG Group holds a 60% interest in the discoveries offshore Tanzania, with Ophir Energy holding 40%.

"The test results confirm the Jodari reservoir's world-class quality; and the potential for the field to underpin the LNG development," said Nick Cooper, chief executive of U.K.-listed Ophir Energy PLC. Mr. Cooper was referring to a liquefied natural gas terminal that could be part of gas development in Tanzania.

BG Group is in the process of selecting a site for an onshore LNG terminal. The capacity of the terminal will be determined by further exploration and appraisal results across the company's three offshore blocks. BG estimates the total resource in Tanzania at nearly 10 trillion cubic feet.

Statoil said its latest Tanzania find brings recoverable gas volumes now discovered in the country to between 10 trillion and 13 trillion cubic feet. "[This] brings further robustness to a future decision on a potential LNG project", said Statoil's executive vice president for Exploration, Tim Dodson.

Statoil has a 65% stake in the discoveries, with Exxon Mobil holding the remaining 35%.

Eni and Anadarko have also said they are studying plans to build a LNG plant in Mozambique. Analysts say the region is well-placed to serve growing energy demand in Asian markets.

Kjetil Malkenes Hovland in Oslo contributed to this story.

Copyright (c) 2012 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

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Sea Trucks' Nigerian Unit, West African Ventures Win Erha North Contracts

Sea Trucks Group announced Friday the award of the Erha North contract to a consortium of West African Ventures, Sea Trucks’ principle Nigerian business and Subsea 7's Nigerian subsidiary.

The contract was awarded by Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd for the development of the Erha North field, located offshore Nigeria in water depths between 3,281 feet to 3,937 feet (1,000 meters to 1,200 meters).

West African Ventures' scope of work will be the installation of certain manifolds, provision of a DP3 accommodation vessel as well as the supply of several ancillary marine support vessels.Offshore activities are scheduled to start in 3Q, 2014.

Sea Trucks' President and CEO, Jacques J. Roomans, said: "We are very pleased with the award of this significant project which reflects the well established reputation of our indigenous business, West African Ventures as a reliable partner for subsea construction and accommodation projects in Nigeria."

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