New Tanzania president boosts gas, pipeline schemes

Tanzania has seen a new development impetus since John Pombe Magufuli took over as president on 5 November following October’s elections. His government is in talks with Uganda and Total to route a planned oil export pipeline from Lake Albert to Tanga port, instead of the route to the Kenyan coast favoured by Nairobi and Tullow Oil, and in January, Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) finalised the purchase of 2m hectares of land at Mchinga Bay, north of Lindi, for a planned two-train liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, enabling work to go ahead on developing the project.