Vusumuzi Dube
Trust Freddy, Harare Bureau
THE Government is expediting the Muzarabani Oil and Gas project, designating it a critical pillar for national energy security and import substitution amid volatile global markets and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
The Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development responsible for Oil and Gas Research and Other Strategic Minerals, Engineer Caleb Makwiranzou, told the Senate last Thursday that the project, located in the Cahora Bassa Basin in Mbire, has reached a critical “inflection point” following the finalisation of the Petroleum Production Sharing Agreement (PPSA).
The PPSA sets out a stable, transparent and internationally competitive legal and fiscal framework, providing the definitive foundation for Invictus Energy to progress from exploration to production.
“This agreement is long-awaited and establishes a framework upon which we can work. The Muzarabani project is currently the most advanced oil and gas initiative in the country,” Dr Makwiranzou said.
He also confirmed that extensive seismic surveys and the drilling of the Mukuyu 1 and Mukuyu 2 wells have already verified the presence of hydrocarbons.
Development efforts are now focused on the Musuma 1 site, where large well pads are under construction. Site preparation is expected to conclude by the end of the first quarter, after which drilling and equipment installation will commence.
At the Mukuyu Gas Field, an appraisal programme is in progress to delineate the field’s size and determine the quality of the hydrocarbons.
Citing the Middle East crisis, he revealed that an inter-ministerial task force is now supervising the project’s acceleration.
“Indeed, the conflict is affecting us, and we are taking every step to move as quickly as possible. Working as the whole of Government, we have a working committee which consists of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, the Ministry of Energy and Power Development and the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development.
“The definitive action we have taken is to encourage Invictus because oil extraction is a huge project. We have to encourage it to work with other players and this is why we got Mutapa to be involved, and Mutapa is now working with us and also sometimes having to input some resources.
“Certainly, the requests that are made by that group of extractors, we are working on them immediately to make sure that they move and we do not stand in their way,” he said.
The project is anticipated to complement Zimbabwe’s hydroelectric and solar generation capacity, offering a stable base load energy source to support industrialisation.
Dr Makwiranzou added that Zimbabwe is strategically positioned to become a regional energy hub due to its proximity to Mozambique’s established gas infrastructure.
This, he said, creates opportunities for potential joint ventures under the Southern African Power Pool.
“The global energy crisis has renewed international focus on diversifying supply sources. For Zimbabwe, this presents significant opportunities for energy security and, importantly, import substitution.”
Online Reporter