Finding East & Southern African Oil &Gas

Karl Jeffery - editor - Finding Petroleum

Mike Rego - Independent Consultant - Future Energy Partners Ltd

Since 2003, exploration activity along the coastal margin of East Africa has been at its most intense since exploration began in earnest in the 1950’s. However despite much effort, with many promising indications for oil both onshore and offshore, in all of this time there has been only one commercial oil discovery in contrast to the 150-200 Tcf of gas that has been recently discovered offshore.

The deepwater has been phenomenally successful in terms of exploration drilling success, yet despite the same or similar source rocks being present, the limited exploration efforts in the nearshore and onshore environments have failed to match the level of deepwater success. Much of this lack of success can be attributed to differences in both exploration culture and methodology. Although there have been the occasional encouraging results, onshore and nearshore exploration activity has never achieved the same momentum or success as for the deepwater. This can be partially attributed to the regulatory frameworks, the type of companies willing to explore the coastal margin and a general lack of enthusiasm shown by contractors to tender for work there.

Re-examination of available well data and structural geology along the coastal margin has refined the interpretation of pre-break up tectonics and stratigraphy. This in turn has re-enforced the exploration potential by identifying a possible new regional oil play with additional possibilities for gas and perhaps opportunities for shale oil or heavy oil sands. Such opportunities should be more attractive to smaller independent exploration companies unwilling or unable to participate in the more costly deepwater environment. However, to make this happen in the current economic climate a fresh approach to exploration culture and methods will be required along the strategy chain to better de-risk projects, and shorten the lead time to first production. More flexible terms from host governments, better sharing of data and knowledge by and between host governments and exploration companies, and potential pooling of resources by contractors, are all required to bring exploration costs down and better de-risk prospects to increase exploration activity and achieve improved levels of success in a lower revenue environment.




In 2008 Mike oversaw the Kiliwani North gas discovery for Aminex in Tanzania, followed in 2012 by the onshore Ntorya gas discovery in 2012, a Middle Cretaceous discovery estimated at the time to consist of approx. 1.2 Tcf GIIP.

In 2014 Mike resigned from his role as Exploration Director at Aminex and took on the role of Exploration Manager for PICO in Cairo, Egypt, however this only lasted some 3 1/2 months as Mike contracted a virus that led to heart failure – fortunately whilst back in the UK for Henley Regatta. Mike made a full recovery, just in time for the oil price to slide down to $20. As a result of poor timing of falling ill, Mike has since been working as an independent consultant with a primary focus on East Africa and North Korea, when not fighting to keep his ageing Land Rover on the road, and gazing out at the Sticklepath Fault from his study at home on Dartmoor in Devon.

Mike graduated from University College of Swansea, Wales, with a Geology degree and joined SSL - Seismograph Services (England) Limited - and was posted to Libya processing onshore seismic data prior to returning to the UK and working as a seismic interpreter on UKCS speculative seismic data.

In 1985 Mike joined BP as a geophysicist, initially in the Far East Regional Appraisal Group, prior to postings to San Francisco to work on the onshore San Joaquin Basin of California, and Cairo, Egypt, to work on the Gulf of Suez and the Western Desert, before returning to London at the end of 1989 to work on deepwater West Africa.

In 1991, Mike joined LASMO initially working on West Africa, but also sub-Saharan Africa including the Seychelles. Mike then joined the Russia group, focussed on new opportunities mainly in West Siberia, leaving in 1993 and working as an independent consultant on West Siberia and West Africa, until joining Phibro to work on the White Knights Joint Venture in West Siberia until 1998, at which point Mike joined Aminex initially in the Tatarstan and Komi semi-autonomous Republics of Russia. In late 2001, Mike persuaded Aminex management that East Africa offered low cost opportunities with little competition, yet potentially large rewards, resulting with Aminex entering Tanzania in 2002.

Future Energy Partners Ltd
Future Energy Partners (FEP) is a unique oil and gas advisory service which prides itself on technical excellence in selected fields and supplementing business management and leadership; in the face of uncertainty.

We offer truthful, professional opinion and advice; no playback of what you already know, and no spin.

FEP was founded by 4 senior industry practitioners who consider the challenges faced by today's oil and gas environment are going to require herculean acts of leadership and technical skill in a transforming, transitioning, industry, in order to maintain an energy supply that is sustainable and even recognisable compared to recent history.

Similarly nations developing an oil and gas industry face related challenges as they seek to maximise the benefits of this new wealth-creating opportunity - in a responsible manner.

Global reach

FEP actively participates in the facilitation and conduct of seminars and webinars worldwide, for example in conjunction with its associate partner Finding Petroleum.

Our presence reaches parts of the globe, such as: the UK, the USA, Sub-Saharan Africa, with partners wherever we work.

Rowan Edwards - project geologist - CGG NPA Satellite Mapping

Dr. Anongporn Intawong - Team Leader Geoscientist - Spectrum

Nick Tranter - - TGS

Neil Ritson - Chairman - Solo Oil

Ian Hutchinson - Advisor – Geodynamics and Tectonics. Business Development (Exploration) - Sasol Energy