The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) has awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for a new gas pipeline connecting the Ntorya gas field to the Madimba Gas Processing Facility.
The EPC contract was awarded to China Petroleum Pipeline and China Petroleum Technology & Development Corporation. Construction of the pipeline is expected to begin soon.
Ntorya is an onshore gas field located about 30 kilometres from the coast in southern Tanzania’s Mtwara region, within the Ruvuma Basin.
The project is operated by ARA Petroleum Tanzania Limited (APT), which holds a 50% working interest.
Aminex plc holds a 25% non-operated interest, while TPDC, the national oil company of Tanzania, holds the remaining 25% interest in the project.
Charles Santos, Executive Chairman of Aminex, commented: “We are delighted to receive confirmation of the award of the EPC contract for construction of the Ntorya to Madimba Pipeline. This is a major milestone, reflecting the commitment of the Tanzanian government to progress the project, and follows the signing of a Gas Sales Agreement, the award of the Development Licence that locks the project in for 25 years, and the update of a Field Development Plan with upgraded production figures—all in the past 18 months. We thank the TPDC and all Tanzanian agencies for working together to reach this major milestone and look forward to providing a more detailed update to the market as soon as we can.”
Ntorya lies within the area governed by the Ruvuma Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), signed with the Tanzanian Government in 2005.
The Ntorya gas discovery was first made by Aminex plc in February 2012, with the Ntorya-1 well testing 20mmscf/d and being suspended for future production.
The Ntorya-2 well was drilled in 2017 and tested 17mmscf/d from the same Cretaceous Aptian sandstone reservoir, and was also suspended for future production.
A Competent Person’s Report in 2018 estimated Ntorya’s gross Pmean gas-in-place at 1.87tcf and gross recoverable 2C Contingent Resources at 763bcf, considered sufficient for commercial development. By 2020, APT became operator of the Ruvuma PSA.
In 2023, APT acquired Scirocco Energy’s 25% interest, raising its holding temporarily to 75%, and conducted a 338km² 3D seismic survey to define the field’s potential. APT subsequently adjusted its stake to the current 50%.
A Gas Sales Agreement was signed with TPDC in 2024, and a 25-year Development Licence was granted, starting the current development phase.
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