Tanzania: Work Starts on Mnazi Bay to Dar es Salaam Gas Pipeline

The government of the United Republic of Tanzania officially inaugurated the Mnazi Bay to Dar es Salaam Gas Pipeline Project on Saturday.

The pipeline is expected to be approximately 532 km long with a 36″ main line and one 24″ spur line. Construction of the pipeline will begin immediately and is expected to take 12-14 months to complete. This is an very signifcant project for the country and on completion will allow the Mnazi Bay Concession partners and others to transport natural gas to large-scale electricity producers, other industrial users and major population centres in Tanzania.

Selling gas into this coastal, transnational pipeline will be a significant event in the history of Wentworth. Since the discovery of the Mnazi Bay gas field in 1982 the substantial gas resources in this concession have been effectively “stranded”. Gaining access to the greater markets of Tanzania is expected to allow full production from the Company’s existing and future gas wells. Currently three of four existing wells are being worked over to maximize their long term productivity. The outcome of this work will provide a basis for concluding an immediate Gas Sales Agreement to supply the pipeline and for future development of the Mnazi Bay and Msimbati gas fields.

Senior Wentworth executives attended a two-day event to inaugurate the pipeline project. Project presentations were given on Friday, July 20, in Madimba village. On Saturday, July 21, Honorable Professor Sospeter Mhongo (MP), Tanzanian Minister of Energy and Minerals, led the official groundbreaking ceremony. Also on Saturday July 21st, the Company co-hosted Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Eliakim Maswi at the Concession partners’ gas processing facilities in Mnazi Bay.

Executive Chairman, Bob McBean, commented:

“As a committed supplier of gas to the pipeline we were honored to attend and participate in the inauguration of this historically important project. This is the beginning of Tanzania’s future as a significant gas producing country and we are proud to be a partner in this endeavour .”

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LNG World News Staff, July 23, 2012