Energy
EU holds meeting over Ukraine Energy Supply
BRUSSELS — The European Union’s energy chief, Günther Oettinger, has hastily convened two meetings for Tuesday to discuss growing concerns in Brussels about potential disruption of gas supplies to Ukraine.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuri Prodan will attend a roundtable on energy security on Tuesday, alongside representatives from the gas industry and Eurogas, a body representing European gas companies. Mr. Oettinger, who will chair the talks, called the meeting to look at ways to help Ukraine meet its gas needs, a European Commission official said.
On the same day, Mr. Oettinger is also convening a meeting of the Gas Coordination Group, composed of officials from the bloc’s member states, gas network operators and other industry representatives. The Gas Coordination Group usually meets a few times a year, though the next scheduled meeting hadn’t been due to take place before the end of May.”We’re all under a lot of time pressure,” the official said. “We need to look at ways to fill Ukraine’s gas supplies next summer, ahead of the winter months and we need to see how quickly we can get reverse flows of gas supplies to the country.”
A vast majority of gas pipelines in Eastern Europe deliver gas only from east to west. The EU is currently acting as a go-between to get Ukraine and Slovakia to sign an agreement that would enable some gas supplies to flow eastward, in the event of shortages in Ukraine. The commission, which is the EU’s executive body, is also looking into increasing existing reverse-flow capabilities in Poland and Hungary, which are currently only able to pump relatively small volumes of gas back to Ukraine.
Ukraine’s prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, warned Saturday that Russia’s gas monopoly OAO Gazprom OGZPY -3.35% could cut off gas supplies to the country over a pricing dispute. Mr. Yatsenyuk, said Moscow’s price increase of 81% was a form of “economic aggression,” and that Kiev wouldn’t recognize the new price. Previous price disputes have resulted in partial or full stoppage of gas deliveries, that in turn affected a dozen EU countries.
Ukraine currently uses 50 billion cubic meters of gas a year, of which 30bcm comes from Russia and 20bcm from its own production. It is the main transit route for gas to Europe.
Separately, technical talks between the EU and the South Stream consortium, including ENI SA and Electricité de France SA, EDF.FR +0.44% will also take place on Tuesday. The future of the planned Russian-led pipeline that would feed large volumes to Europe via Bulgaria, has been cast in doubt in recent weeks because of tensions over Moscow’s annexation of Crimea. Mr. Oettinger said last month that political-level talks between South Stream and the EU would be shelved for now.
– WALLSTREET JOURNAL
The Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) has completed the turnaround maintenance on the Bonga Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, leading to resumption of production at Nigeria’s premier deepwater field on March 6, 2026.
Biztellers reports that the project was delivered 11 days ahead of schedule and without any safety incident, reinforcing SNEPCo’s longstanding commitment to operational excellence and asset integrity.
“Completing the turnaround safely and ahead of schedule is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our Nigerian workforce and the helpful support of our partners,” SNEPCo Managing Director Ronald Adams said. “The achievement not only secures the long‑term integrity of the Bonga FPSO but also positions us strongly for the successful delivery of the Bonga North project, which will leverage the improved reliability of the FPSO.”
The exercise which began on February 1, 2026, highlights SNEPCo’s leading role in advancing deep‑water expertise in Nigeria. Of the 55 companies involved in the execution, 43 were wholly Nigerian. Additionally, eight of the 12 international service providers maintain operational bases in Nigeria, contributing to knowledge transfer and increased local investments.
More than 1,000 personnel worked offshore during the turnaround, with over 95% being Nigerians involved in maintenance, engineering, operations, inspection and construction. Thousands more supported activities from onshore locations, reflecting the depth of Nigerian capability in offshore oil and gas operations.
Adams added: “We acknowledge the support of several stakeholders towards the successful execution of the exercise, including the NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and our partners.”
Modupe Asudo
Sahara Group, a leading global energy and infrastructure conglomerate, has commissioned MT Asharami Ghana, a 40,000‑cubic‑metre Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) carrier, expanding its fleet capacity, while strengthening Ghana’s clean energy supply chain and LPG distribution network.
The dual‑fuel vessel improves operational efficiency, enhances supply reliability, and supports lower‑emission LPG logistics as consumption grows across Ghana and the wider sub‑region.
Ghanaian President Mahama and Sahara Executive Directors
Speaking at the commissioning in Ulsan, South Korea, President John Dramani Mahama described the vessel as “a significant milestone in strengthening the infrastructure that underpins the global LPG supply chain,” noting that expanded shipping capacity is critical to improving supply security, reliability and efficiency for countries that rely partly on LPG imports.
He commended Sahara Group, WAGL Energy and all partners involved for their “leadership, technical expertise and strategic foresight,” adding that the project reflects “the power of partnership” in advancing safe, efficient, and responsible energy distribution.
President Mahama wished the MT Asharami Ghana safe sails, expressing confidence that the vessel would inspire further investment and collaboration across Africa’s energy value chain.
According to Wale Ajibade, Executive Director, Sahara Group, the vessel supports Ghana’s clean energy ambitions through integrated infrastructure.
“MT Asharami Ghana is more than a vessel; it is part of a deliberate strategy to strengthen LPG supply security and support Ghana’s clean energy ambitions. It secures an additional 25,000-Metric-tonne stock security for the Ghana economy, alongside the soon to be commissioned 6000-metric-tonee of 12.000-metric-tonne land storage in Tema,” he said.
With the addition of Asharami Ghana, Sahara Group’s LPG carrier fleet now comprises six delivered vessels with a combined capacity of 202,000 cubic metres. Supported by partnerships with WAGL Energy, NNPC Limited and other stakeholders, an additional 270,000 cubic metres of capacity is under construction and due for delivery by September 2028.
Temitope Shonubi, Executive Director, Sahara Group, said Asharami Ghana is part of Sahara’s integrated LPG infrastructure strategy spanning shipping, storage, and downstream distribution globally, including the development of a 12,000‑metric‑tonne land‑based LPG storage terminal in Tema, with a 6,000‑metric‑tonne first phase scheduled for completion in May 2026.
He thanked Yaa Serwaa Alifo, MD of Asharami Ghana, for her resilience and insistence to dedicate a ship of “this magnitude solely to the Ghana Market and its landlocked neighbours.”
Ghana is targeting LPG adoption of 50 per cent of households by 2030, up from about 30 per cent today. Sahara’s investments will support clean energy access for more than 35 million people, while strengthening Ghana’s role in regional LPG trade to neighbouring and landlocked West African markets.
The commissioning comes in Sahara Group’s 30th anniversary year, guided by the Sahara Beyond XXX milestone, underscoring Sahara’s focus on building an enduring enterprise that delivers responsible growth, shared prosperity and long‑term impact across its markets.
Nigeria’s crude oil production dropped to 1.31 million barrels per day in February, even as local refineries continue to grapple with inadequate domestic crude supply needed to sustain operations.
The development shows that Nigeria again failed to meet its crude oil production quota of 1.5 million barrels per day approved by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as output declined sharply in February 2026.
Data from OPEC’s latest Monthly Oil Market Report, based on direct communication from member countries, showed that Nigeria produced 1.314 million barrels per day in February, down from 1.459 mbpd recorded in January.
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The figures indicate a month-on-month decline of 146,000 barrels per day, widening the country’s shortfall from its OPEC production allocation.
Nigeria’s inability to meet its OPEC production quota is not only affecting its oil export earnings but also adversely impacting domestic refineries that are starved of feedstock for their operations.
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