Dodoma: The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) has entered into a strategic partnership with Nigeria’s FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited (FIRST E and P) to explore the Mnazi Bay North Block, marking a significant milestone in Tanzania’s upstream oil and gas sector.
According to Nam News Network, the two entities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday, laying the groundwork for collaboration in assessing and progressing hydrocarbon exploration and potential development in the Mnazi Bay North Block, located in the southern part of the country. The government is fully committed to empowering TPDC with the mandate to develop this block, bring in more partners, and expand development to other available blocks.
Shirima also invited FIRST E and P and its associates to explore additional opportunities as the government plans to auction 26 offshore and Lake Tanganyika blocks, part of its broader efforts to revive and grow the upstream energy sector. The Chief Executive Officer of FIRST E and P, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, expressed the company’s strong belief in Tanzania’s potential as a regional energy hub.
He highlighted that the partnership with TPDC is focused on discovering gas, bringing it to shore, and utilising it as fuel for industry and power. The aim is to convert this resource into real value that serves Tanzania and the region. Adeyemi-Bero emphasized Tanzania’s strategic location as a natural energy hub for East and Central Africa, given its world-class hydrocarbon resources and proximity to the Indian Ocean.
The CEO also praised TPDC for its professionalism and openness throughout the 15-month engagement leading to the MoU, noting that the collaborative spirit had laid a solid foundation for a successful partnership. The MoU is considered only the beginning, with plans to move into a definitive agreement and commence actual exploration work at Mnazi Bay North.
TPDC Managing Director, Mussa Makame, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the importance of intra-African collaboration in the energy transition era. He stressed that when African companies collaborate to develop Africa’s resources, it brings even greater value to the continent.