Russia seeks closer energy ties with African countries

Russia wants to expand existing energy cooperation with African countries, including on upstream oil and gas production projects as well as through OPEC+, officials said Oct. 27 and 28.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is already implementing more than 30 promising energy projects in 16 African countries, during the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum in Moscow.

"We have a shared interest in ensuring that Africans have access to affordable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly energy sources, and in supporting the development of domestic energy markets across Africa, including in sectors where Russia possesses unique technologies," he said, according to a Kremlin statement.

Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyov said that Russia is ready to help Africa to create hydrocarbons hubs, the Tass news agency reported Oct. 28.

"To enable the import of hydrocarbons, logistics infrastructure within African countries has to be established to facilitate onward transport of these hydrocarbons to end consumers," Tsivilyov told reporters, according to Tass.

"At the same time, there must be development based on Africa's own existing resources—specifically, the expansion of hydrocarbons extraction," he added.

Russia works with 8 African countries in the OPEC+ coalition. This includes six OPEC members – Algeria, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya and Nigeria. Sudan and South Sudan are part of the non-OPEC group. Africa's OPEC+ members produced a total of 4.48 million b/d in September, according to the Platts OPEC+ crude production survey.

During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 27, Mohamed al-Menfi, Chairman of the Presidential Council of the State of Libya, said that Libya wants to expand cooperation with Russia across a wide range of sectors, including energy, gas, infrastructure, reconstruction and security.

"We hope that Russian oil companies will return to Libya and contribute to the advancement of this vital sector of our economy," he said, according to a Kremlin statement.

Russia's Tatneft earlier signed four production service agreements with Libya's National Oil Corp. on reserves in Libya's Ghadames and Sirte basins, but work has been interrupted multiple times due to security concerns.

According to the Kremlin, Putin added during the meeting: "Our cooperation within multilateral frameworks, particularly the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, whose summit in Moscow we both just attended, as well as OPEC+, enables us to join efforts in developing measures to safeguard global energy security."

Russia hosted the GECF leaders' summit on Oct. 27. African GECF member states include Algeria, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Libya and Nigeria.