Go-ahead hopes for Namibia's Kudu gasfield

Exactly 40 years after it was discovered, the Kudu gasfield is moving towards a development decision

By the end of the year, agreements are targeted to be in place to allow work to start on the development of Namibia's Kudu gasfield - an achievement which has eluded companies large and small since its discovery in 1974. Plans call for gas from the field, lying 170 km off the southern part of the coast, to be landed to fuel a power-station to be constructed near Oranjemund, with the electricity to be sold in Namibia, Zambia and South Africa.  Namibia's state-owned Namcor hopes to sign, by December, an agreement to farm-out a large part of its 54% interest in Kudu to a new participant, while Tullow, the operator, will retain its 31% and Itochu will retain the other 15%. Gas sales agreements w