TANGA: DEPUTY Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, responsible for oil and gas, Dr James Mataragio, has reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) in enhancing its capacity to keep pace with global technological advancements in the oil and gas industry.
Speaking at the opening of PURA’s second Workers’ Council meeting in Tanga on Tuesday, Dr Mataragio stressed the ministry’s resolve to ensure that institutions under its umbrella, such as PURA, are not left behind in technological advancements.
This is in line with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s recent concerns about the oil and gas sector lagging behind in Tanzania in terms of its contribution to the country’s economic development.
“The Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority is currently preparing for its fifth licensing round, which is expected to be launched by President Samia in March 2025,” Dr Mataragio announced.
He added that the ministry is preparing itself to collaborate with PURA to auction 24 offshore exploration blocks, which are anticipated to garner significant international interest. This move, he noted, requires intensified efforts to build the institution’s capacity to manage new challenges effectively.
Dr Mataragio underscored the critical role that PURA plays in the oil and gas sector, but acknowledged a skills shortage in the industry, particularly in specialised fields like data interpretation.
“There is an urgent need to strengthen expertise within PURA. I appreciate your efforts in capacity-building through training and I will support your request for a fairer distribution of funds collected from oil and gas companies for training purposes,” he said.
ALSO READ: PURA set to announce new oil, gas exploration opportunities
He stressed the need for more geo-scientists, engineers and legal experts to support the major projects that lie ahead in the oil and gas industry.
Dr Mataragio highlighted the ongoing shortage of skilled personnel, which hampers the organisation’s ability to fully oversee the sector. “We need to build this capacity because PURA is at the heart of regulating the sector,” he emphasised.
As a former Chief Executive Officer of the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), Dr Mataragio also spoke about the vital role of Workers’ Councils in promoting harmony between management and employees, while ensuring transparency and enhancing operational effectiveness.
PURA’s Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Charles Sangweni outlined the organisation’s role in overseeing the implementation of local content policies in the oil and gas sector.
He highlighted Tanzania’s untapped potential, revealing that out of 534,000 square kilometres of the country’s territory with oil and gas prospects, only 30 per cent—roughly 162,000 square kilometres—has been explored.
He explained that the fifth licensing round will introduce 24 new blocks, with 21 located offshore and three in Lake Tanganyika, offering vast opportunities for future exploration.
TGS, a global leader in energy data and intelligence, signed an agreement with Tanzania’s Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) this year, to manage and licence the country’s extensive offshore subsurface data. This collection includes 2D and 3D seismic data covering an area of over 132,000 square kilometres.
Tanzania boasts strong play diversity, proven through exploration success across much of the stratigraphy, from Early Cretaceous to Miocene reservoirs.
Under this agreement, TGS holds the exclusive rights to licence all of Tanzania’s offshore mainland data on behalf of the government.
TGS will empower exploration and production companies to evaluate opportunities in this under-explored but highly promising region of East Africa.”