Tanzania Marks First Natural Gas Discovery in Over a Decade
The Mnazi Bay find, estimated at 223 billion cubic feet, is expected to begin production early next month and boost domestic supplies.
By Ayanda Novak ·
Tanzania has announced a significant natural gas discovery in the Mnazi Bay area in the south of the country, the first such find in a decade.
Energy Minister Juma Homera attended a ceremony at the Kasa-1X ST2 well to mark the occasion. The well is jointly owned by the state-run Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and the French oil company Maurel & Prom.
Homera said the estimated 223 billion cubic feet (6.3 billion cubic metres) discovery was a "major milestone" for the development of the small oil and gas sector in the East African nation.
The new well is expected to start production early next month, and the gas is intended to boost domestic supplies. Tanzania already holds natural gas reserves of 57.54 trillion cubic feet.
"The discovery is important in ensuring the country has reliable, clean and safe energy at affordable costs, particularly at a time when demand is increasing due to industrial growth and other economic activities," Homera said.
Natural gas is central to the country's power sector. Government statistics for 2024 show it accounted for nearly 80% of Tanzania's sources of electricity generation.
The fuel is also used on the roads. In recent years, authorities have encouraged the use of compressed natural gas to power vehicles, and natural gas plants and filling stations have been set up mostly in the largest city, Dar es Salaam. Some Tanzanians have converted their vehicles to a dual-fuel system, as the locally available gas allows for cheaper prices than petrol.
The country's gas history stretches back several decades. Tanzania made its first natural gas discovery in 1974 on Songo Songo Island in the south-east Lindi region. A second discovery followed at Mnazi Bay in the neighbouring Mtwara region in 1982.
Commercialisation of those discoveries began in 2004, which spurred further exploration both onshore and offshore. The largest single discovery to date came in 2016, when 2.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas was found.
Source: BBC News
