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Oranto Petroleum Explains Senegal Exit

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Oranto Petroleum has explained that it suspended investment in oil exploration in Senegal last year after the Senegalese government allegedly reneged on contractual terms that have to do with its offshore licenses.

The company offered the explanations in a statement that it halted investment activities in the St Louis and Cayar Offshore Licenses following what it described as an unfair policy shift by the Senegalese authorities.

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The clarification follows the Senegalese government’s decision in January 2026 to revoke an offshore oil exploration license previously held by Atlas Oranto Petroleum. Senegal had claimed the company failed to provide required bank guarantees and carried out only minimal exploration work since the award of the block.

Oranto Petroleum, however, rejected that narrative, insisting that its suspension of investment was a direct response to what it termed a breach of the original agreement.

“As a matter of fact, Oranto Petroleum in 2025 decided to suspend any further investments in the St Louis & Cayar Licenses in Senegal after the Government of Senegal insisted on US$25 million Bank Guarantee as against agreed Corporate Guarantee as being provided by other Operators in Senegal,” the company stated.

The firm argued that the demand for a $25 million bank guarantee contradicted earlier contractual provisions that allowed a corporate guarantee, which it said was the standard arrangement granted to other operators in the country.

The company further challenged the government’s claims that it had not made sufficient financial or operational commitments in Senegal, describing such allegations as misleading and inaccurate.

“For record purposes, till date, Oranto Petroleum has committed over US$45 million in expenditures in Senegal covering activities such as seismic acquisition and interpretation, acreage rental, social projects and training of Senegalese locals as stipulated in the contract. These records exist and can be fact checked,” the statement noted.

Oranto Petroleum also expressed concern that it had been unfairly singled out in what it described as a targeted campaign to damage its reputation.

“It is worth mentioning that for reasons best known to the Government of Senegal, Oranto Petroleum has been singled out in this false narrative – this we classify as unfair, unjustified and targeted,” the company said.

Beyond its own case, the company warned that the situation highlights broader challenges facing foreign investors operating in Senegal’s energy sector.

“We would like to use this opportunity to state that other foreign entities operating in Senegal are also facing challenges doing business in Senegal and this calls for concern,” Oranto Petroleum added.

Reaffirming its credentials, the company emphasized its track record and long-standing footprint in Africa’s energy industry.

“It is worth noting that Oranto Petroleum remains a foremost player in Hydrocarbon Exploration in Africa having committed over US$500 million in exploration and development of hydrocarbon in Africa,” the statement said.

The company also outlined its business model, stressing that it focuses on early-stage exploration and risk reduction before partnering with third-party operators for later-stage development.

“Oranto Petroleum as per business model remains an early explorationist focused on acreage derisking and later stage development in collaboration with third party Operators,” it explained.

In closing, the company reaffirmed its commitment to legal compliance and urged stakeholders to resist narratives that could undermine Africa’s investment climate.

“Oranto Petroleum remains respectful of the rule of law in all jurisdictions where it operates and urges the public to disregard any narratives that continuously focus on demarketing African investment opportunities geared towards the greater good of Africa and her citizens,” the management stated.

Energy

NMDPRA Shares July Domestic Cooking Gas Supply Details

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The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has credited the NLNG/SEPNU with leading the rise in Nigeria’s domestic cooking gas supply, which peaked at 5,332 tonnes per day in July 2026.

The NMDPRA’s July 2026 midstream and downstream statistics showed that total liquefied petroleum gas supply increased from 5,100 tonnes per day in June to 5,332 tonnes per day in July.

The NLNG/SEPNU supplied 2,031 tonnes per day through vessels, representing about 38 per cent of the total supply during the month.

Other processing plants supplied 1,513 tonnes per day through trucks, while the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) supplied 829 tonnes per day.

Imports accounted for 959 tonnes per day.

The figures showed that domestic sources supplied 4,373 tonnes per day, representing about 82 percent of the total LPG supply in July, while imports accounted for the remaining 18 percent.

The July supply level was the highest recorded in the 13-month period covered by the NMDPRA data.

LPG supply stood at 4,500 tonnes per day in July 2025 before rising to 5,000 tonnes in August and declining to 3,900 tonnes in September last year.

READ ALSO: OB3 Pipeline Set for First Gas, AKK Hits 95% – NNPC Ltd

It subsequently increased to 4,500 tonnes in October, 5,000 tonnes in November and 5,200 tonnes in December.

In January 2026, supply stood at 5,100 tonnes per day before falling to 4,700 tonnes in February and March, 4,500 tonnes in April and 4,100 tonnes in May.

The supply level then rose to 5,100 tonnes per day in June before reaching 5,332 tonnes in July.

The latest figures indicate a continued strengthening of domestic LPG supply, with local sources now accounting for the bulk of the cooking gas available in the country.

However, our correspondent reports that LPG prices have yet to fall below the N1,000 per kilogramme level after the sudden surge in May.

Though prices have plunged from a high of N2,400/kg to between N1,300 and N1,600, depending on location.

The NLNG recently accused some marketers of contributing to the sharp rise in the price of cooking gas by buying liquefied petroleum gas from the company at prices between N800 and N900 per kilogramme and selling it for as much as N2,400/kg in the retail market.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Adeleye Falade, disclosed this during a recent media briefing in Lagos, where he attributed the price spike to supply shortages, artificial scarcity and distortions in the distribution chain rather than the company’s pricing.

According to him, when the retail price of LPG climbed to N2,400/kg, the NLNG was selling the product to buyers at between N800 and N900/kg. He said the price was supposed to be in the range of N1,000 to N1,200, going by the recommendation of the NMDPRA.

“When the product was being sold at N2,400 in the market, guess how much they (marketers) were lifting it from us? It was between N800 and N900 per kg. And NMDPRA recommended that by the time you put in transportation costs and all other things, it shouldn’t be selling more than N1,000, N1,100 or N1,200. So, there’s also some distortion that happened on the sales side, which I know the regulators are working on right now to get control of it,” he stated.

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Energy

US-Iran Conflict Sees Oil Exceed $94

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On Tuesday, renewed escalation of the conflict between the United States and Iran pressured oil prices to over $94/barrel.

Current hostilities which witnessed American air strikes on Iranian targets and triggered global concerns of disruption to crude supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

READ ALSO: NLC Decries Lax in Nigeria’s Oil Sector, Inadequate Support for Local Refineries

Brent crude rose $4.06, or 4.49 percent, to $94.55 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate gained $4.44, or 5.18 percent, to $90.20 a barrel. Murban crude also surged by $7.19, or 7.30 percent, to $105.60 a barrel, according to Oilprice.com.

The rally followed the United States’ fresh strikes on Iran, with Washington saying its forces had targeted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC).
“Today (Tuesday) at 12 p.m. ET (1600 GMT), US forces began striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran.

“The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region,” the US Central Command said.

The latest attacks have raised fresh concerns about the security around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil supplies. Oil prices had already risen following the exchange of attacks between the two countries over the weekend, while reports of attacks on tankers further fuelled supply concerns.

Reuters reported that two supertankers carrying Saudi oil were struck by unknown projectiles within minutes of each other while travelling outbound through the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, according to shipping intelligence and tracking firms.

Following the reports, Brent crude futures, which were already up about two percent, jumped by almost another two percent.

Iran has also threatened to prevent oil exports from the Gulf if the US continues its attacks. “If the enemy wants us not to export oil from the Persian Gulf, no one will be able to export oil,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted as saying by Iranian media.

The renewed confrontation has heightened fears that the six-month-old conflict could escalate into a wider war and threaten crude supplies from the oil-rich Gulf region.

The conflict had previously shifted towards sanctions, blockades and economic pressure, but the latest exchange of attacks has raised concerns about a return to sustained military confrontation.

US President Donald Trump warned Iran that it would face a stronger response if it retaliated against the latest American strikes.The US strikes came after Iranian missiles were fired at two US air bases in Jordan in response to an earlier American attack on Iran’s Larak Island.

The latest escalation also coincided with plans by Washington to impose additional economic sanctions on Tehran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said bank sanctions against Iran were likely to be announced this week and next, while warning that Washington would also target other entities doing business with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

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Energy

172 HCDTs Incorporated — NUPRC

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The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has said that 172 Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs) have so far been incorporated by oil and gas companies operating across the country.

The chief executive, NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this while addressing the leadership of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) in Abuja.

Under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), oil and gas companies, referred to as settlors, are required to contribute three percent of their Operating Expenditure from the preceding financial year into a Host Communities Trust Fund for the benefit of communities where they operate.

Eyesan said the NUPRC had been enforcing the provisions of the Act, particularly those relating to host communities and the obligations of operating companies, and had put in place regulations and procedures to streamline the process.

“We have laid out procedures for doing things and we have put regulations in place to streamline the process. So far, we have registered 172 HCDTs and we have been able to manage contributions by settlors,” she said.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Beats 2026 Foreign Reserves Target, Hits $53.1b

She said the trusts had funded the construction of schools, hospitals and other infrastructure, and had contributed significantly to peace and stability in previously volatile communities, which in turn had led to an increase in oil production.

Eyesan, however, admitted that some of the HCDTs had become subjects of litigation over disagreements on the constitution of their Boards of Trustees. She said the Commission had been working to ensure the trusts run smoothly, and that its Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre had played a key role in addressing some of the grievances.

She said that while the RMAFC’s interest in host communities was appreciated, oversight of how the funds are managed remained the exclusive preserve of the NUPRC.

The NUPRC boss also promised to investigate the lingering disagreement between Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO) and its host community in Anambra State.

Responding, the chairman of the RMAFC, Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, commended the NUPRC for overseeing reforms in the oil and gas sector that had contributed to growth in production.

Shehu said the RMAFC regards the upstream oil and gas sector as important, given that it accounts for a large share of revenue accruing to the Federation Account.

He thanked the NUPRC leadership for honouring the RMAFC’s invitation and called for stronger collaboration between the two institutions in the interest of the country.

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