Category: Oil & Gas

Two years after launching tenders for oil and gas block exploitation, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faces significant questions about the project’s effectiveness. Despite its commitment to developing its oil and gas sectors, the country currently produces only 20,000 barrels of oil per day, ranking 70th globally, far behind neighboring Angola, South Sudan, and Congo Brazzaville. The project, announced on July 28, 2022, in Kinshasa, has yet to commence. The initiative, led by then-Prime Minister Sama Lukonde, aimed to develop the areas surrounding the oil and gas blocks, exercising… Read More Here

Facing criticism over the environmental impact of its oil operations in Moanda, Kongo-Central province, the Franco-British company Perenco firmly denies any involvement in environmental degradation. In a consultative meeting in Moanda with Kongo Central national deputies and various civil society groups, Minister of Hydrocarbons Molendo Sakombi, and Arthur Gueriot, general director of Perenco in the DRC, addressed the accusations. Gueriot insisted that Perenco operates in compliance with current environmental standards and is regularly inspected by both national and international organizations. According to Gueriot, the allegations of environmental harm are baseless… Read More Here

Voices in Moanda, situated on the Atlantic coast of the DRC, are increasingly advocating for the revival of the Congolese Society of Refining Industries (Socir), which ceased oil refinery activities in 1999, according to local sources. Following a meeting attended by civil society, local officials, and Perenco, a Franco-British oil company, alongside Minister of Hydrocarbons Aimé Molendo Sakombi on Monday, Marcel Matumpa Buka, a national deputy for the region, publicly urged for Socir’s operations to resume and proposed the establishment of a national oil exploitation company. “We urge the government,… Read More Here

On Saturday, July 6, the Congolese Society of Refining Industries (SOCIR) in Moanda, located on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Congo River, welcomed Aimé Molendo Sakombi, the Congolese Minister of Hydrocarbons. This visit marked his inaugural tour to engage with stakeholders in the oil sector of Kongo-central province. Since 1999, SOCIR has operated solely as a storage and distribution facility for imported petroleum products, despite its initial mandate to refine national crude oil, revealed an anonymous company executive on site. “We believe the minister’s visit can expedite… Read More Here

During the 3rd Council of Ministers meeting on Friday, June 28, 2024, at the Cité de l’Union Africaine, Minister of Hydrocarbons Aimé Molendo Sakombi presented an update on the Gulf of Kabuno degassing project. He reported that the industrial phase has commenced with the installation of three Industrial Stations, marking significant progress towards mitigating the risk of gas explosions in North Kivu and South Kivu. Minister Sakombi noted that the first Industrial Station was successfully installed, with provisional acceptance on September 12, 2023. However, he highlighted two key challenges: delayed… Read More Here