More gas discovered in southern Mozambique

A consortium headed by the South African petro-chemical giant SASOL has discovered two new fields of natural gas, off the coast of the southern Mozambican province of Inhambane.
Few details of the discoveries, made in blocks 16 and 19, are yet available, and so far there is no estimate of how much gas the new fields may contain.
Minister of Mineral Resources Esperança Bias says the concession to search for natural gas in the two blocks was granted to the consortium in June 2005.
So far the consortium has invested about 100 million US dollars in the two blocks, half of which was spent on an exploratory well.
According to Bias, the gas was discovered at depths of 1,339 and 1,359 metres. She said that, if further research shows that the deposits are commercially viable, the gas will have a considerable impact on the Mozambican economy.
The other members of the consortium working in blocks 16 and 19 are the Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas, and Mozambique’s National Hydrocarbon Company (ENH).
Neighbours with eyes on Mozambique’s gas
Mineral Resources Minister Esperança Bias says neighbouring countries were interested in buying natural gas in Mozambique. Currently the bulk of the gas produced at the onshore fields at Temane and Pande is exported to South Africa.
Bias said that Swaziland is one of the aspirants.
The known reserves at Temane and Pande amount to five trillion cubic feet of gas.
Bias says, locally, there is a list of projects that will benefit from the gas, electricity generation, and industrial consumption and to power vehicles.