At the end of 2012, Chad is still a minor oil producer (by international and African standards) with a production of less than 130 000 bbd (barrels by day), but the country has both O&G resources and assets (an existing export pipeline to the Atlantic Ocean, an improved road network). 

Today, 105 000 bbd are exported via the Doba to Kribi pipeline and 13 000 bbd go from Ronier to the local refinery, bringing local oil products to the local market.

Exxon having invested 3 billions US € over the past 5 years to maintain production, the company extended its capacity to stay for a few more years, even if Doba production will decrease gradually, Exxon having stopped to invest in new fields.

The new player Griffiths (with his partner Glencore) should start production by the end of 2013 in Badila and Mangara, exporting oil through the TOTCO / COTCO pipeline.

But the big question is with CNPC export of Bongor heavy oil. To be exported through the Doba to Kribi pipeline, Bongor oil will have to be compatible with Doba oil, at least as long as Exxon exploits Doba and manages the pipeline. Another question is around the export of Agadem oil in Niger which could also be transported by the Chadian and Cameroonese systems. And of course CNPC is interested to continue its exploration of the northern Central African Republic areas.

For CPC-OPIC, the new gas discovery is a great asset (initial findings showed that the first drilling Benoy-1 had a 9 000 bbd potential) but export of this gas has to be studied).

At the other end of Chad, nitial discussions between Sudanese and Chadian authorities in January 2013 should lead to a possible connection of the Erdis basin (close to the libyan border) to the northern oil fields of Sudan and the pipeline going east to Port Sudan.

For the smaller investors (like Simba and EHRC), they will have to develop their fields and find solutions to exports eventual products.

But all these developments will have to cope with regional instability:

  1. Seleka rebellion in CAR,
  2. A difficult settlement of the situation between Sudan and South Sudan and Sudan and its Darfur province,
  3. Trouble in Northern Nigeria extending in Niger and Northern Cameroon,
  4. The whole sahelian crisis with possible extension of actual trouble in north eastern Mali and southern Libya to Niger and Chad.

Last Updated ( Friday, 15 March 2013 )