Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) has kick-started a string of meetings with petroleum exploration and production companies operating in the country, aimed at discussing companies’ work plans and budgets for the coming year.
Through the meetings, the license holder (the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation – TPDC, which is also the National Oil Company (NOC) and its partners – International Oil Companies (IOCs) are presenting the performance of the approved work plan and budget for the year 2021 and put forth the work plan and budget for the year 2022 for PURA’s approval.
Approval of the work plan and budget is one of the responsibilities conferred to PURA through section 12(2) (d) of the Petroleum Act, 2015.
In addition, Regulation 32 through 39 of the Petroleum (Cost Recovery Accounting) Regulations of 2019 have put it succinctly clear the modalities of executing the annual work plans and budget meetings.
The modalities cover a gamut from the establishment of the work plan and budget approval committee to the approval of the proposed work plan and budget.
Speaking at the opening of the first meeting held yesterday in Dar es Salaam, the Chairperson of the Approval Committee of PURA, Engineer Fabian Mwose, explained that the meetings are crucial to both the Authority and companies, since the parties get to dive deep into proposed activities, thus bringing about a common understanding among them.
“These meetings are fundamental in setting basis for monitoring of planned activities in the coming year. It is also an opportunity to discover implementation gap for the previous year and improve compliance in the subsequent year” Added Eng.ineer Mwose.
This year’s meetings will see eight companies seeking the Authority’s approval of their plans, a critical step before implementing any activities in the subsequent year.
The companies are Mourel and Prom Exploration Production T Ltd (Mnazi Bay and Bigwa Rufiji Mafia blocks); Pan African Energy Tanzania Ltd (Songo Songo Block) and Equinor Tanzania AS (Block 2).
Others are ARA Petroleum (Ruvuma Block); Swala Oil and Gas (Kilosa Kilombero Block); TPDC (Mnazi Bay North Block; Shell Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited (Block 1 & 4); Ndovu Resources Limited (Nyuni and Kiliwani North blocks).
It is worth reiterating that TPDC as a license holder is a partner in every block and appears in meetings for all blocks. The Ministry of Energy is also taking part in the meetings as an observer.
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