UK firm Tullow Oil has started exploring for oil and gas in Zambia as the country pushes to diversify its economy and reduce its reliance on the industrial metal.
Zambia does not produce oil, but the government says soil samples sent to European laboratories have shown good traces of crude.
Tullow Executive Vice President Ian Cloke said in a speech during the launch in Kasama that exploration would take between two and 10 years, development three to 10 years and production 20-50 years.
“We are exploring over a large area that includes Northern and Luapula provinces,” Mr. Cloke said, referring to regions in the north of Zambia.
“With Tullow’s exploration credentials, I can confidently say that if there is any oil to be found in this area of Zambia, Tullow will find it.”
Mr. Cloke assured government and the Zambian citizens that there will be maximum benefit and opportunity sharing for all as evidenced in the company’s commitment in similar projects in Ghana, Kenya and Uganda.
And President Lungu said at the ceremony that he was eager to receive the findings of the survey and would closely monitor the exploration work.
“Our economy has been dependent on copper and vulnerable to shocks in global copper prices, which lie beyond our control,” Mr. Lungu said.
He said this heralds the emergence of the Zambian Petroleum industry which will significantly boost government efforts of diversifying the economy from copper dependency.
“It is the first survey of its kind to be carried out in our country and, we hope, heralds the emergence of a Zambian petroleum industry which will significantly boost our efforts to diversify the economy and create jobs. As such, today is a moment of great significance for Tullow Oil and for our nation.”
“Zambia has a long history in copper mining; we are among the top ten copper producers in the world. for too long however, our economy has been dependent on copper and vulnerable to shocks in the global copper price which lie beyond our control but have a devastating impact on our communities and our society.” Said President Lungu.
And Mr Lungu emphasized the commitment of his government to diversify the economy beyond copper in order to realize the value of Zambia’s natural resources in a transparent, sustainable way for positive impact on communities.
He said the growth of an oil and gas sector is a key pillar for Zambia’s diversification policy and that his government is working hard to create the necessary regulatory and fiscal measures that will guide the development of this sector to ensure it unlocks value for all the people of Zambia and the world at large.
“I do not say this lightly. We know that to create a new industry – the petroleum industry – is ambitious. To decide to do so in a way which is transformational for the many and not the few and which future generations can thank us for, is far from easy. However, it is the only way we will progress as a nation.” He said.
I would receive this news with a pinch of salt if I wear you all.
You have been warned !
Thanks
BB2014,2016
@Mushota, what English is this from a PhD Holder. If I wear you all. Are you sure you really have that kind of education? And if you are, you must be unemployed because you are always blogging and your blog shows that you are doing it from the mobile device which means you are not even in the office when you are doing this but on your cellphone. You have too much time for someone with that kind of education. Ulilofwa.
When i call this utterly foooolish thing Edgar lazy you think its an insult…oh no its not; surely how does the whole Head Of State go to commission mineral exporation of a foreign private company.
Ka Jay Jay … ukutumpa!! Here recently President Trump jumped into a truck with truck drivers around him to promote the trucking industry in the US.
And the world cheered; if it was ECL Ka Jay Jay would have been insulting him calling him lazy fimofimo. The entire British government sends their High Commissioner and you don’t even see this project’s significance.
For cretins like Ka Jay Jay who still live in rented apartments despite spending decades abroad, nothing good for the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise is good for them.
They are bitter failures who have nothing to really show except the flag carried on their blog in which countries they actually live in shame hoping for a better life.
This is great news and ain’t no better partner than Tullow Oil for this…
Continued …
This is great news and ain’t no better partner than Tullow Oil for this endeavor … Long Live, the smart people of this enterprise called Zambia.
For others who don’t fully understand why it will take this long and wondering what Tullow will be doing, the oil shell in Block 31 sits in an unusual formation but its loaded.
Not only with oil alone but a lot of gas as well. Zambia has the potential to be another Qatar with all those gas reserves going as far north as Mweru Wantipa.
So, it’s going to take a little longer but the dividends are immeasurable and the prospect are very much encouraging.
Continued…
There’s another argument of moving away from the internal combustion gas engine for the automotive industry and going electric.
While that is going to be the trend, it’s still proven that the aviation industry will be depending on fossils for a much longer foreseeable future because fossils oils produce the most efficient thrust for jet engines.
With this development, we can produce and refine jet fuel and create an important hub for airfreight logistics at the lowest cost possible.
These and many other possibilities are things myopic cretins like Ka Jay Jay have the ability to grasp, instead they find it easier to insult the Head of State than think things through … ala bwafya bane.
Meant to say …
These and many other possibilities are things myopic cretins like Ka Jay Jay have “NO” ability to grasp, instead they find it easier to insult the Head of State than think things through … ala bwafya bane.
KK looked and looked so did chiluba only to find that the oil explores were infact mining and smuggling precious stones and other minerals….
Imagine this silly Bum Edgar exposing the Office of the President to such all because he wants a weekend away …really laughable.
Ka Jay Jay … ukutumpa!!! The only lumpen we have to laugh at is a cretin called Ka Jay Jay here. He has a heightened sense of importance and yet a nobody he is!!! Really laughable!!!!
He insults the Head of State from the enterprise he was born and yet, he will never even be president of any country in his lifetime!!! Really laughable!!!
He wants to sound smart with every blog, but the more you read them the more you learn he’s so shallow without any admirable depth to anything except for his deep jealousy for a Head of State he will never himself ever be!!!! Really laughable!!!!
What a bitter sore loser he is, it is really laughable!!!
I’m convinced that Zambia is better off LOOKING FOR OIL FROM GRASS!!!!
Twaingililwa nomba. The British again? Lets watch out…
President Bill Clinton was leaving the presidency in 2000 after his term but he attended his last G8 meeting and a reporter asked him what he thought about China’s surge in infrastructure development in Africa.
His response??? That’s great development … let the Chinese continue building all the ultra modern airport in Africa at the current rate. It makes it easier for many American made Boeing Jets to land safely!!!
My response to you … let the British do the hard work for us, it makes it easier for Indeni to build another refinery in the northern part of the Zambian Enterprise or least still expand its operations to cater for future production!!!
Good day …
When I HEARD THAT TULLOW would be exploring for OIL and GAS , I got excited now with this:”Tullow Executive Vice President Ian Cloke said in a speech during the launch in Kasama that exploration would take between two and 10 years…” I am BECOMING SKEPTICAL THAT THEY COULD BE LOOKING FOR OIL and GAS and may just be like another “Placid Oil or Diesel from the Grass grandiose schemes”. Yes 2 years is understood BUT 10 YEARS? WHY SO LONG WHEN IN KENYA IT TOOK LESS THAN 3 Years?? ANOTHER PROBLEM IS ALLOCATING ALMOST HALF THE COUNTRY TO ONE OIL EXPLORATION FIRM, WHY NOT SPREAD THE RISK?? THIS HAS POTENTIAL FOR BEING SHORT CHANGED!!
@JJ Hazaluza Hagain, the criminal, will never have this opportunity the man you are cursing has!
I AM NOT OPTIMISTIC AT ALL. 2 TO 10 YEARS JUST PROSPECTING? HOW WILL THEY FEED THEIR OWN FAMILIES? UNLESS THEY WILL BE PROSPECTING FOR OTHER THINGS LIKE PRECIOUS MINERALS, IVORY, RHINO HORNS ETC. WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL.
Tullow Oil are a very good exploration company with excellent results and a very good record of operating in Africa. However, the key is not oil! By 2040 both Britain and France and likely the rest of the developed world will do away with diesel and petrol engines and we in Africa are still running around trying to drill oil????
Zambia has experienced a hike in Copper prices thanks to electric vehicle production in the US and China which is pushing the commodity prices higher and are forecasted to reach historical highs so as it stands Zambia is the country of interest to all major economies because of our Copper and Lithium the main element used in the manufacture of car batteries.
We are very blessed whether we find oil or not!
What happened to the prospecting for oil in the North Western Province?
Is there a Zambian working at this company? Tulo, amaZambians batulo sana. t minerals are in this region? Where will the collected samples be analysed. If the samples will be airlifted to another country, it is sorry for Zambia.
Disgraceful to me, should the whole lot of the Zambian presidency get off from Lusaka and pick the Chitimukulu only to go and launch an exploration project? I would have understood had this been done at the well drilling stage. To the world out there, Zambia is now laughingstock. What has happened is like a young man seeking to marry but before he can even identify a potential woman, he first finds bashibokombe. And the foolish man accepts his role and says to him ‘I will wait for you here to perform my bushibukombe while you go out there to find that woman irregardless of the time it will take or whether he will indeed be successful in that endeavor, does that make sense? This is desperation for 2021. I pit poor villagers who have no understanding of these issues.
@2, this is a very special occasion. So you think that the British high Commisioner himself is utterly foooolish to be in attendance?
No wonder underfive is not President of Zambia, too much self importance compared to humble and lovable Edgar Lungu. See how happy and comfortable the welcoming flower girls or boys are happy in His presence wherever he goes?
Whether you like it o not bena zambia, in exploring there are side “explorations” which are the precious minerals. The whole exploration process costs money, so were do u think this money will come from? But also zambians if you dont know these explorers make money by selling mineral location maps to other mining companies. How do you think the Chinese are coming to zambia today, tomow they are busy mining somewhere? Such information they buy from these explorers. People in the mining profession will tell you that in europe they have o the mineral map of Z, location & quantities etc. And you are claping
Parts of northern province are well known for gold & maganese deposits. Elmeralds too. So relax, ukwiba bakeba. Emwe prayer is that they find something beneficial to the country.
OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION TAKING BETWEEN 2 TO 10 YEARS? I SMELL A RAT. LET IT NOT BE ANOTHER KK’s, “OIL FROM GRASS”, SAGA. IF I MAY ASK: HOW MANY CHEMICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS FROM UNZA AND ALREADY QUALIFIED CHEMICAL ENGINEERS HAVE BEEN ATTACHED TO THIS 10 YEAR EXPLORATION PROJECT? I AM SAYING THIS BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT TO MONITOR WHAT THIS PEOPLE ARE DOING FROM DAY ONE. OTHERWISE, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER, “OIL FROM GRASS”, SAGA WHERE GOLD AND OTHER PRECIOUS STONES WERE MINED AND DURING NIGHT TIME EVACUATED FROM THE COUNTRY TO OVERSEAS. MUSHOTA IS RIGHT.
Stop daylight lying Bwana Lungu .Oil prospecting and extraction does not create plenty of jobs simply bcuz its highly mechanized .
This they call Geo-mapping. Find the oil, place a sticker on the map and save the actual drilling for another decade when oil prices and demand goes up. No immediate benefit to Zambia.
Ndeloleshafye Nshalande
Tullow promised the Kenyans the same thing … they are still exploring wth no oil in sight. Just concentrate on making Zambia a bread basket, stop politicking.