Kampuni ya uchimbaji gesi ya statoil inafikiria kusitisha mwekezaji wake nchini

Kampuni ya uchimbaji gesi ya Statoil ambayo ni moja kati ya makampuni makubwa ya uchimbaji gesiambayo pia inatarajiwa kushiriki kuwekeza kwenye kiwanda cha gesi cha takribani Trilioni 70 mkoani Lindi imesema inafikiria upya juu ya kuendelea kuwekeza nchini baada ya serikali kubadilisha ghafla sheria na sera ambazo zilitiwa saini miaka kadhaa iliyopita

Maafisa wa Statoil Nchini amesema sheria mpya zilizopitishwa na bunge mwaka huu zimeifanya Tanzania kuwa nchi isiyotabirika kwenye swala la uwekezaji na imerudisha nyuma hatua walizokuwa wameshapiga awali

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Statoil which is one of the major oil and gas exploring foreign companies which is also expected to play a leading role in construction of a U$ 30 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Lindi, said it’s reconsidering its options before committing more investments in the country.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam last Friday, Statoil Country Manager in the country, Oystein Michelsen said the state’s abruptly changed laws and policies has sent shivers of fear among investors who signed production sharing agreements several years ago.

“The project should give both profit and revenue to Statoil and the government. If ongoing negotiations don’t succeed then it will be a loss of money to us. We are scheduled to carry out a short 30 days exploration next January in respect to our commitment with the government,” the Statoil Country Director, noted.

He pointed out that two new laws enacted by parliament earlier this year, the Natural Wealth and Resources (Sovereignty) Act and the Unconscionable Terms Act have changed the whole investment environment that existed before.“These laws have made Tanzania an unpredictable country when it comes to investment hence frustrating our plans,” he lamented as the government made a significant gain in negotiations with Canadian mining giant, Barrick Gold Corporation to change the existing mineral development agreement.

“Statoil is very committed to this project because it is huge in our portfolio and it’s for the long term but the government seems not to be ready by focusing on its priorities. What we see is that the government is actually not ready, it is mainly focused on reviving existing laws, regulations, policies and training its personnel to have knowledge on oil and gas,” pointed out the Norwegian company chief.

Sharing his experience in the field, Michelsen gave an example of Nigeria where Statoil have been operating for many years but the terms and conditions remained the same as per signed contracts contrary to what is happening to Tanzania where everything is being overhauled.The company’s Legal Officer, Edward Kateka said the legal framework in the country for oil and gas areas are based on signed PSAs and the Petroleum Act 2015 until this year and the Petroleum Act of2008.

However, the 2017 Natural Wealth and Resources laws are posing to be major challenges to Statoil operations as the PSA does not meet the government’s requirements.

“Especially the Unconscionable Act of 2017 that poses a big threat since it allows the government to go back to any previous agreement and change the terms and conditions which were already agreed. This frustrates us in budgeting because it affects operating costs hence also has impact on determining the project outcome and security,” Kateka argued.

Statoil Head of Commercial Department, Musa Makame also shared his frustration with the changing government regulations saying, a review of the PSAs backpedals on progress made by most investors who were attracted by a different set of rules.

“We are very aware that the government wants to protect the country’s interests through maximizing revenue from natural resource exploitation but the new laws are a threat to us. We signed the contract in 2007 to begin exploration and as I speak, for Block 2 alone we have invested U$2bn while our partners ExxonMobil has invested U$2bn in Blocks 1 and 4,” Makame explained.

He asserted that only the government has the right to change the contract terms and the law within 40 years of the project implementation.

“If the terms will be changed anyhow and anytime when will the U$30bn be recovered and when will Statoil begin making profit from the project. It took us 10 years to cover the exploration, appraisal and development stages and while about to begin operations then comes the new laws,” he lamented.

Makame said exploration is a risky stage because it can abort as 80 percent is failure while only 20 percent represents success when predicting. “But the market is unpredictable since the price also fluctuates regularly,” he noted.

Statoil has been in Tanzania since 2007 when it signed PSA for Block 2 with Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) being an operator with 65 per cent stake while ExxonMobil 35 percent for Blocks 1 and 4. TPDC has the right to participate with a ten per cent working interest if commercial volumes are proven.

Statoil Lead, Capacity Building and Technology transfer Officer, Prof Richard Rwechungura said a drilling campaign in Block 2 comprising of 14 exploration and appraisal wells has resulted in eight discoveries with 22 trillion cubic feet of gas. Prof Rwechungura said the government has requested the partners in block 1 and 4 and block 2 to cooperate in the development of a joint onshore LNG plant.

“As a response, an integrated project team with representatives from all the license holders of block 1, 2 and 4 has been established with the purpose of developing a common onshore LNG facility. The offshore developments remain as independent projects operated by Statoil and BG Tanzania which has been acquired by Royal Dutch Shell respectively,” noted Prof Rwechungura.

The investment for the LNG plant is projected to be in the range of between U$30 and 60bn design specifics and location from gas wells.