A brighter year for Africa

Senegal's and Mozambique's projects gained momentum, Nigeria's production started to rise again

The forces acting on the hydrocarbons sector in sub-Saharan Africa are as varied and sizeable as the continent itself. But 2017 was largely positive. Projects moved ahead on both sides of the continent. Nigeria and Angola remain Africa's hydrocarbons kingpins, but developments in up-and-coming producers, like Senegal and Mozambique, continued to impress. Senegal's speed in developing a new oil and gas province has been impressive, showing what can be done when oil companies and governments see eye-to-eye—and if the oil and gas discoveries keep racking up. Operator Cairn Energy increased its estimate of recoverable oil resources in its deep-water SNE field, around 100km offshore the Senegales