Africa Surveyors January-February issue 2023 digital

RCMRD Seeks to Improve the Wetlands Vulnerability Assessment Tool

end-users knowledge about the essential details regarding the wetlands ecosystem.

The Regional Centre For Mapping Of Resources For Development (RCMRD), under the Global Monitoring for Environmental and Security (GMES) and Africa Programme, is partnering with Environmental Surveys, Information, Planning and Policy Systems (ESIPPS) to augment the wetlands vulnerability tool to generate services that foster relevant policy response frameworks in wetlands. The environmental monitoring tool assessing wetland vulnerability will be hinged on Earth Observation (EO) data and increase

The tool is an upgrade to the previous tool dedicated to responding to various wetland systems. Furthermore, ESIPPS will upgrade the tool data and functionality, establish a wetland conservation framework, build a dashboard and mapographics showing available products and tools and conduct virtual training for GMES and Africa staff, partners and end-users. RCMRD is also partnering with GeomikAfrica to develop environmental monitoring tools for Land Degradation Services using EO data, Innovative Techniques and End-User Knowledge in the East Africa Region.

TGS announces multi-client 3D seismic survey in West Africa

Chariot Completes Engineering, Design for Morocco’s Offshore Gas Project

TGS, a leading global energy data and intelligence provider, are proud to announce that it has secured prefunding for a new multi-client 3D seismic survey in West Africa. This project will commence in Q2 2023 and will be the first 3D project to be performed under the recently announced multi-year vessel agreement with COSL.

This project will expand TGS’ 3D seismic data coverage, providing high-quality data in a key emerging basin in one of West Africa’s prolific hydrocarbon provinces. The survey will be conducted with long offsets. It will

be processed using Pre-stack Time (PSTM) and Pre-Stack Depth (PSDM) workflow with Full Waveform Inversion (FWI), enabling improved imaging of the subsurface for acreage evaluation, supporting license rounds within the region and providing excellent growth opportunities for energy companies.

The survey will be acquired by COSL’s HAI YANG SHI YOU 721 (HYSY721) state-ofthe-art vessel, scheduled to mobilize in Q2-2023, with final processed deliverables to be completed by Q3-2024.

Africa-focused energy exploration company Chariot announced on Wednesday that it has completed the “Front-End Engineering Design” (FEED) for its flagship Anchois offshore gas project in Morocco. This process aims to assess the project’s expenses and extensively plan before placing a bid submission.

The project, which covers an area of more than 2,300 kilometers squared in a water depth that ranges from coastline to 850 meters, falls under the Lixus Offshore drilling license. Chariot holds 75% of the project’s interest and operatorship while Morocco’s Hydrocarbons and Mines Office (ONHYM) holds 25% of the interest.

The energy group began the FEED for the Anchois development in June 2022, after the company raised $25.5 million (MAD 257 million) to advance this phase of the project.

In parallel with the FEED, other technical work has been in progress, including conducting onshore and offshore environmental baseline surveys as part of the Environmental, Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), and developing the project’s drilling planning.

Chariot’s Chief Executive Officer Adonis Pouroulis celebrated the “excellent progress” the company has made across “all aspects” of the Anchois development project, noting that “detailed discussions” on partnering, gas sales agreements, and project finance are ongoing.

The conclusion of the FEED phase is an “important step in defining the initial development plan to deliver gas to our anchor customers,” Pouroulis said.

Chariot Completes Engineering, Design for Morocco’s Offshore Gas Project |Image: Courtesy

TGS announces Multi-Client 3D Seismic Survey in West Africa| image: TGS

Source: RCMRD

Microsoft, JKUAT partner in developing engineering curriculum

The Africa Development Center which is Microsoft’s engineering arm has partnered with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology to roll out a new curriculum for engineering students. The partnership is aimed at expanding access to digital skills training to harness opportunities in the digital space.

Microsoft’s premier engineering arm, has rolled out a new curriculum for engineering students at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, in a bid to improve the tech talent pipeline and reduce the skills gap between classrooms and the workplace.

“The ADC is running multiple initiatives to improve the tech talent pipeline starting from primary school all the way to working to improve the skills of practicing professionals. As part of the skilling drive, the ADC is looking to improve tech-based curricular within local institutions of higher learning so as to reduce the skills gap between classrooms and the workplace,” said Irene Githinji, the ADC Student and Education Engagement Program Manager.

The initiatives range from coding classes for children, teaching basic computer skills to underprivileged individuals to highly technical learning opportunities such as the Game of Learners hackathon, which helps university students fine-tune their skills by building real-world solutions under the supervision of industry professionals.

The partnership between the Africa Development Center and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, is part of the digital Transformation Strategy for Africa which aims at providing a massive online e-skills development program to 300 million annually by the year 2025, to provide basic knowledge and skills in digital security and privacy.

Uganda approves construction of $3.5bn crude oil export pipeline project

Uganda has approved a licence for the construction of the proposed $3.5bn pipeline that will be used to export crude oil to international markets, reported Reuters. The news agency cited Uganda Information State Minister Godfrey Kabbyanga as saying in an emailed statement that the application to construct the pipeline has been approved by the cabinet.

Being developed by East African Crude Oil Pipeline Company (EACOP), a company controlled by France’s TotalEnergies, the 1,44km-long pipeline is planned to have a peak capacity of 246,000 barrels per day.

It will transport crude oil from Kabaale-

Hoima in Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near the Tanga port in Tanzania. The project also includes the construction of a storage terminal and loading jetty in Tanga. The pipeline will comprise six solar-powered pumping stations in Tanzania, and a heat tracing system.

TotalEnergies owns a 62% stake in EACOP while state-run Uganda National Oil Company and Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation hold 15% stakes each. China’s CNOOC owns the remaining 8% interest. As per the government geologists estimates, the country holds gross reserves of six billion barrels and 1.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil.

Eni announces ‘Significant’ Offshore Gas discovery in Egypt

Eni announces a significant new gas discovery at the Nargis-1 exploration well located in Nargis Offshore Area Concession, in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, offshore Egypt. The Nargis-1 well has encountered approximately 200 net feet (61 m) of Miocene and Oligocene gas bearing sandstones and was drilled in 1,014 feet (309 m) of water by the Stena Forth drillship. The discovery can be developed leveraging the proximity to Eni’s existing facilities.

Nargis-1 confirms the validity of Eni’s focus on Egypt Offshore, which the company will further develop thanks to the recent award of exploration blocks North Rafah, North El Fayrouz, North East El Arish, Tiba and Bellatrix-Seti East.

Egypt’s Nargis Offshore Area concession is ~445,000 acres (1,800 square kilometers). Chevron Holdings C Pte. Ltd. is the operator with a 45% interest, while Eni’s wholly owned Affiliate IEOC Production BV holds a 45% and Tharwa Petroleum Company SAE holds a 10% interest.

Eni has been present in Egypt since 1954, where it operates through the subsidiary IEOC. The company is currently the country’s leading producer with an equity production of hydrocarbons of approximately 350,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. In line with the net-zero strategy by 2050, Eni is engaged in a series of initiatives aimed at decarbonizing the Egyptian energy sector, including the development of CCS plants, renewable energy plants, agro feedstock for bio refining and others.

Eni announces ‘significant’ discovery offshore Egypt |Image: courtesy

Microsoft, JKUAT partner in developing engineering curriculum|image:courtesy

World Economic Forum Selects Terradepth for Ocean Data Challenge

Skydel Becomes First GNSS Simulator to Break High-Capacity Barrier

Terradepth, a leading provider of ocean data solutions, has been selected to participate in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) prestigious Ocean Data Challenge, a program aimed at enhancing sustainable ocean management and building the blue economy. One of only 11 Challenge winners, Terradepth will become part of the WEF UpLink Innovation Network, including a mentoring program and partnering opportunities.

WEF announced the Ocean Data Challenge winners at its 2023 Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The Challenge was created by WEF in response to the United Nations’ proclamation that 2021–2030 be a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and has called for creation of a global ocean data ecosystem to connect businesses, organizations, and government data providers.

“Terradepth is proud to be recognized by the World Economic Forum as an innovator in creating technologies that play critical roles in deepening our understanding of ocean environments,” said Joe Wolfel, CEO of Terradepth. “We look forward to working alongside some of the most influential players in the ocean science community.”

The Ocean Data Challenge selected Terradepth for its innovation in scaling ocean data collection and ocean data dissemination. Terradepth is accomplishing this by developing long endurance autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that revolutionize the economics of ocean data collection and reduce its environmental impact. Additionally, as an ocean data-as-a-service (ODaaS) provider, Terradepth has spearheaded efforts to deploy low-logistics AUVs configured with multiple sensors to conduct seafloor hydrographic and geophysical surveys for a fraction of the cost of traditional surveys.

Orolia, a Safran Electronics & Defense company, has announced that Skydel, its flagship GNSS simulation engine software, can generate more than 500 signals from a single platform. By leveraging its software-defined architecture, Skydel’s potential can be massively scaled upwards when employing a robust set of hardware components. GNSS users, experts, and manufacturers, as well as those looking for an LEO-capable simulation system, can greatly benefit from this unmatched number of signals.

“GNSS chipset, cellular handset, and GNSS receiver manufacturers have been looking for a robust solution that can generate a very high capacity of signals — with all the constellations and multiple frequencies –from a single workstation. Skydel gives them that capability,” explained Pierre-Marie Le Veel, Orolia’s Simulation Product Director. “With the right hardware, Skydel is the first high-capacity GNSS simulator on the market that can also accurately generate advanced multi-path, jamming, spoofing, or the high number of signals and frequencies needed for a true LEO constellation simulation.”

Skydel contains a rich feature set that includes multi-constellation/multi-frequency signal generation, remote control from userdefined scripts, and integrated interference generation. However, one of Skydel’s greatest assets is its open, software-defined architecture.

“Skydel’s software-defined GNSS simulation approach is just the tip of the iceberg,” added Le Veel. “With more and more customers simulating multi-path and jamming scenarios, and the need for more signals in more applications –even beyond traditional simulators – the need for high-capacity has never been greater. The Skydel engine opens the possibility for users to escalate to over 1000 signals and not be limited by hardware design.”

Sercel & AP Sensing launch innovative railway monitoring solution

Sercel and AP Sensing are pleased to announce the launch of a joint innovative solution for comprehensive railway infrastructure monitoring.The world’s first Below Ballast Scan (BBS) solution is the result of joint technical work combining AP Sensing’s unique Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology and Sercel’s comprehensive geophysical solution for nearsurface evaluation using DAS data. The joint solution provides insights to help customers understand the roadbed and underlying geology to better manage their geotechnical risks.

The BBS monitoring solution provides critical data needed for safe railway operations and is an important complement to existing shallow near-surface inspection techniques and rail

monitoring. The use of already-existing fiber optic infrastructure, together with extremely long-range evaluation capability, makes the joint Sercel and AP Sensing solution very costeffective and non-intrusive. Assessment of rail track subsurface using DAS does not interfere with traffic and allows monitoring changes in real time for more predictive planning of maintenance operations, especially in areas with complex geological conditions or high geotechnical risks.

Orolia’s Skydel Simulation Engine offers the best of both worlds|image: Orolia

Sercel & AP Sensing launch innovative railway monitoring solution|image: Sercel

World Economic Forum Selects Terradepth for Ocean Data Challenge|image:courtesy

DriX Unmanned Surface Vehicle takes part in Middle East region’s largest naval exercise

Following the success of the Digital Horizon 22 Unmanned & Artificial Intelligence Exercise organized by the U.S. Navy in Bahrain, Exail Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), DriX, was selected by the 5th fleet’s task force 59 to take part in the twoweek 2023 International Maritime Exercise (IMX 23), that was held in Bahrain and Jordan from March 5th to 16th.

Middle East region’s largest naval exercise, IMX23 is a multinational event involving more than 50 partner-nations and international organizations operating in the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and East African coastal regions. The exercise will include 7,000 personnel, 35 ships and more than 30 unmanned and artificial intelligence systems, including Exail DriX USV.

As part of this exercise, the DriX USV – along with the industrial partners brought together

by the unmanned task force TF59 – will operate in Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and Mine Countermeasures Missions (MCM) tactical environments. This exercise aims at evaluating the use of combined unmanned technologies for deployment by the interallied forces in the Gulf region.

“To be able to take part in such a major naval exercise , along with some of the industry’s best, is both a great honor and a recognition

of the hard work the Exail teams put in the development of autonomous solutions, from the design of the platforms and their artificial intelligence, to the services we offer around their deployment.” Guillaume Eudeline, Exail’s Naval Autonomy Market Director said. “We are now looking forward to the start of IMX23 this Sunday, and are confident that, together with all other partners, we will demonstrate the high potential that deploying unmanned solutions in the naval domain represents.”

TCarta Expands Role in Seabed 2030 Ocean Survey Project

TCarta Marine, a global provider of hydrospatial products and services, has expanded its role in the Seabed 2030 project that seeks to map the entire ocean floor by 2030. Having already directly contributed extensive satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) to the endeavor, TCarta has developed capacity building initiatives to train international hydrographic offices in creating their own SDB data sets for Seabed 2030 and other applications.

Seabed 2030 was launched by The Nippon Foundation of Japan and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans program (GEBCO) to produce a publicly accessible bathymetric data set of the seafloor. The project is officially endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

As a Seabed 2030 partner, TCarta has contributed 150,000 square kilometers of 10-meter resolution seafloor depth measurements from its Global Satellite Derived Bathymetry (G-SDB) product line. The contributed data sets include the Red Sea in

the Middle East and Caribbean coastal zones of Belize and Turks and Caicos.

“Seabed 2030 is making these bathymetric data sets available for coastal resilience, environmental protection, and other important applications outside of traditional nautical charting,” said TCarta president Kyle Goodrich. TCarta has taken its Seabed 2030

participation a step further by developing capacity building training programs to instruct international hydrographic offices in the production of SDB data for their coastlines. TCarta personnel completed training with the Mexican Hydrographic Office in 2022. The firm will begin a similar instructional program in Jamaica this year with an export grant from the State of Colorado.

iNESS Data Twins of Commercial Spaces Powered by Bentley iTwin | Image courtesy

DriX Unmanned Surface Vehicle takes part in Middle East region’s largest naval exercise|image:Exail

Nico Muller, CEO, Impala Platinum

Natascha Viljoen, CEO, Anglo American Platinum

Phoevos Pouroulis, CEO, Tharisa Minerals

Bernhard Fuchs, Senior Vice President Precious Metals Management, Umicore AG

Timothy Ingle, Senior Vice President, Precious Metal Services & Recycling, BASF

Henk de Hoop, CEO, SFA Oxford

Roger Baxter, CEO, Minerals Council South Africa

And many more…

Key topics to be discussed include:

• Trends in the PGMs sector and strategies of producers

• Current geo-political and economic realities and impacts

• The role of PGMs in the energy transition and the road to net zero carbon emissions

• PGMs and the transformation of the automotive industry - combustion engines vs fuel cell EVs vs battery EVs

• Supply, demand and future projections

• Market development and applications for the future

• Investors and funders – the latest views

• Recycling, recovery and reprocessing

• Beneficiation opportunities

• The role of PGMs in the hydrogen economy

• And much more…

Subsea Technology Eastern Mediterranean conference and Expo 2023

In partnership with the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company (CHC), Offshore magazine introduces Subsea Technology Eastern Mediterranean, a new conference and tabletop exhibition dedicated to facilitating the transfer of technology, best practices, and regional cross-border collaboration for sustainable offshore energy development in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Curated by top subject matter experts, the conference program will focus on subsea tieback technology and new concepts for sustainable development and operations, attracting senior technology and business management from the global offshore international operators, engineering firms, contractors, technology suppliers, service companies, and regulators.

Geo Connect Asia 2023

The third edition of Geo Connect Asia on the 15th & 16th of March in Singapore provides the opportunity to focus on how digital construction and geospatial-based solutions can drive productivity across the building and construction industries.

Geo Connect Asia celebrates the return to a normal meeting environment, in March in Singapore, combining an exhibition of more than 100 companies and a series of conferences. The Main Stage Conference theme, Advancing sustainable & resilient geospatial solutions for an interconnected world, reflects the need to respond to sustainability goals with the pressing challenges associated with

climate change, urban growth and a digitalised world, amongst many others.

In addition to the main conference the Digital Underground Connect Expert Stage returns with the title of Advancing Subsurface Utility Mapping for Construction and Asset Management.

Geo Connect Asia incorporates Digital Construction Asia and is colocated with the inaugural Drones Asia Show. The combined event is expected to attract more than 3,000 delegates and visitors from Singapore and the Asian region.

HevenDrones launches hydrogen-powered drone for commercial and defence use

HevenDrones, a leader in the development and commercialization of actionable drones, launched today its first hydrogen-powered drone for commercial use, the H2D55. With 5 times greater energy efficiency than traditional lithium batterypowered drones, the H2D55 is capable of flying for 100 minutes with a payload capacity of 7kg.

The launch of HevenDrones’ hydrogen product line addresses the challenge of flight endurance and payload capacity associated with battery-powered lithium drones as well as the long-term environmental impact linked to lithium mining. Without the need to frequently replace batteries, hydrogen fuel cells will also lower long term ownership costs for organizations implementing drone technology at scale.

The H2D55 is the first in a planned lineup of 3 Hydrogen fueled drones that will be

Mosaic X camera systems added to greehill’s RIEGL mobile LiDAR system

Greehill announces the successful integration between their RIEGL mobile laser scanners and the recently-launched Mosaic X mobile mapping camera systems. This marks a new milestone for all companies involved, as the first successful customer integration of the Mosaic X camera system with a RIEGL VMX-2HA scanner.

This integration comes following the work done in late 2022 between RIEGL and Mosaic to fully integrate the Mosaic X camera systems with RIEGL’s V-Line Scanners which are some of the highest-performing and

released over the next 9 months. The additional models will have increased payload capacity while preserving the longer flight endurance.

HevenDrones has designed its carbon-neutral H2D product line to be fully customizable to the unique goals of its commercial and defence clients. Commercial use case examples range from last-mile and just-in-time (JIT) delivery, measuring the nutrient levels of soil and precision crop spraying to collecting risk-assessment data for construction companies, surveying real estate for reforestation projects and aiding emergency responders in risk assessment and delivery of life-saving

Defence use cases include more extensive surveillance missions and supplying larger quantities of medical aid, food and ammunition to soldiers.

“Integrating the Mosaic camera into our urban forest scanning system enables us to deliver accurate insights to our clients so they can make better decisions about how to manage their green assets. The addition of the Mosaic X cameras allows us to capture the urban environment with greater resolution and speed, which saves time, expense, and postprocessing effort.”

widely-recognized mobile laser scan systems in the world. The Mosaic X 360º camera system becomes the highest resolution 360º camera to become fully compatible with the RIEGL VMY-1, RIEGL VMY-2, RIEGL VMQ1HA, and RIEGL VMX-2HA, enabling more photorealistic accuracy while recording 3D data of object surfaces in a time-efficient and highly-accurate manner.

Gyula Szabolcs Fekete, CTO & Co-Founder explains what the acquisition of 3 Mosaic X cameras brings to greehill:

The greehill platform uses 360-degree imagery and LiDAR technology to accurately visualize and analyze urban environments to drive better management decisions. Resolution is crucial for their clients, and it is a priority to have a seamless integration with their RIEGL VMX-2HA mobile laser scanner for mass data production.

Fekete comments, “The Mosaic X camera system provides the resolution and reliability we need to deliver the most accurate insights to our clients. The Mosaic camera and integration are very reliable, and the outputs meet our expectations and requirements. Feedback from the users will be delivered in the coming months, after they have the chance to test the platform in the field.”

Mosaic X camera system. Image Mosaic

Trimble launches Tekla 2023 structural BIM solutions

Trimble has launched 2023 versions of its ‘constructible BIM’, structural engineering and steel fabrication management solutions, Tekla Structures, Tekla Structural Designer, Tekla Tedds and Tekla PowerFab. The new releases are also said to raise the bar for automated and connected workflows, with tighter integration between Tekla products and third party tools.

Structural BIM tool Tekla Structures 2023 features several improvements in software performance, and an upgraded drawing editing user experience that is said to make the software easier to learn and use.

There are also improvements in detailing for fabrication workflows and project communication. In rebar detailing, complex bar shape designs are now said to be easier to share with procurement, manufacturing and the construction site.

Customers in steel fabrication are given ‘greater flexibility’ by being able to cover more detailing options related to bolts and holes

for specialised industries. The software also features updated outputs and exports in the field of detailing for fabrication of multiple types of projects and materials.

3D design and analysis software Tekla Structural Designer 2023 introduces a ‘rigorous analytical approach’ to footfall assessment that, according to Trimble, can

bring substantial cost savings benefits as well as a reduction in risk through accurate quantification of performance. The engineer can run multiple footfall scenarios in a single model. The software also features a strengthened design-to-detail workflow with Tekla Structures and a new integrator for Autodesk Revit 2023.

Esri launches new ArcGIS Reality digital twin software

Esri has long been among the global leaders in GIS software, location intelligence, and mapping, with their ArcGIS software serving as the leading GIS software globally. Realizing the direction of the industry towards smarter digital twins utilizing imagery from UAVs, crewed aircraft, and satellites, the Redlands, California-based company has added new software to the ArcGIS platform, announcing the release of their ArcGIS Reality software earlier this month.

This new release enables accurate 3D mapping to form the basis of digital twins for whatever size project a professional may need, looking at something as small as a single job site to potentially as large as an entire nation. As Esri points out in their announcement, the digital twin space is rapidly expanding the market for aerial imaging, which is expected to reach $4 billion in value by 2025, nearly quadrupling where it stood back in 2017, an 14.2 percent compound annual growth rate.

This new ArcGIS Reality software will comprise a family of four products all running on the ArcGIS Reality engine. Those four are, from the Esri announcement:

• ArcGIS Reality for ArcGIS Pro—a new extension of Esri’s flagship desktop GIS software, allowing users to input images from drones or crewed aircraft to generate 3D outputs for reality mapping.

• ArcGIS Reality Studio—a new focused application for reality mapping from aerial images for entire cities and countries. A map-centric intuitive interface enables high production efficiency to deliver survey-grade representations of reality.

• Site Scan for ArcGIS—Esri’s cloud-based end-to-end reality mapping software for drone imagery, designed to simplify drone program management, imagery data collection, processing, and analysis.

• ArcGIS Drone2Map—an intuitive desktop application focused on reality mapping from drone imagery, enabling offline processing and in-the-field rapid mapping.

With the new software now available, a variety of industries will be able to benefit from Esri’s expertise in locational intelligence in creating their digital twins. The data captured by the various tools – whether they be aerial-, drone-, or terrestrial-based – are used by many different industries, and it’s a group that is only going to continue to grow as the value of having these accurate models becomes more readily apparent. This new offering allows that reality capture data to be added into a model and layered with GIS and BIM data to create a truly useful and valuable model for professionals.

Image Esri

Software said to raise the bar for automated and connected workflows. | Image Trimble

Chinese JV awarded final section of $2.2B Tanzania Rail Project

By Shem Oirere

AChinese joint venture has won a second contract in under three years to construct the sixth phase and final portion of a 2,561-km standard gauge railway (SGR) line in East Africa over the next four years.

China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and China Railway Construction Corporation will build the 506 km line connecting the towns of Tabora and Kigoma. The $2.2 billion project is comprised of 411 km of main line, 95 km of branch lines, 10 railway stations and two large freight yards.

Denmark-based engineer COWI A/S was previously picked as preferred designer of the Tabora-Kigoma phase of the SGR line project. As in the previous five phases, the TaboraKigoma phase is being constructed alongside Tanzania’s existing 2,725.5-km meter-gauge railway track, reducing the need to establish right-of-way.

Contracts for five earlier phases of the SGR line have been awarded to Turkish and Portuguese contractors. The Tanzanian SGR line will link landlocked countries of Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the Indian Ocean port city of Dar es Salaam. The SGR line, once fully operational, would reduce cargo transportation costs between Dar es Salaam and the landlocked countries from $6,000 per metric ton to $4,000 per metric ton. Transportation time is also expected to drop drastically from 30 days to 30 hours by 2027.

In January 2021 China Civil Engineering

Construction Corporation and China Railway Construction Corporation signed another contract for the construction of the fifth phase of the SGR line, approximately 249-km long, connecting the town of Isaka to Mwanza, the second-largest city in Tanzania. The contract award coincided with Tanzania’s securing a $1.32 billion loan to finance this phase of the SGR line.

The SGR line is designed with a lifespan of 100 years, and can handle axle loads of 35 metric tons and a design speed of 160 KPH (99 MPH) for passenger trains and 120 KPH (74 MPH) for freight trains. Initially, 24 trains, with maximum length of 2 km, will travel the 2,561-km electrified SGR line.

The SGR will use UIC 60-type rail on prestressed, mono-block concrete. According to the Tanzania Railway Corporation, the SGR line’s “horizontal curves will be designed to account for the relatively higher speed of the new train.”

The SGR line is being laid with 2.6-m-long sleepers that are spaced 600-mm apart. The is also utilizing 2.5 cu meters of ballast for every meter laid. The ballast’s thickness and shoulder width has been designed

at maximum of 300 mm and 400 mm respectively.

The rails will be fastened using the elastic rail fastening-anti vandal system while the track will have continuously welded joined using the flush-butt method.

“This Tabora-Kigoma railway will open up Tanzania and connect it with Democratic Republic of Congo where there is a lot of cargo that needs to be transported through our [Dar es Salaam] port,” said Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan during the signing of the contract in December 2022.

Tanzania is expected to finance the project through equity and commercial loans. With the contract award for the Tabora-Kigoma section, the total investment in the entire SGR line project in Tanzania has now risen to $10.4 billion.

“I know our critics blame us for taking up these loans, but they must understand that a better infrastructure is key to driving growth in our country and making Tanzania competitive at the regional level,” said President Samia Suluhu Hassan in December 2022.

The agreement for construction of the latest segment of the railway was signed in late December between representatives of the Tanzanian government and China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan witnessed the signing (seated, center). Photo Courtesy CCECC

Photo Courtesy

Nigeria and Senegal sign MoU on local content in Senegal's oil and gas industry

By Chinedu Okafor

The Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board, a federal government body, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Senegal's National Local Content Monitoring Agency to strengthen local content in Senegal's oil and gas industry.

The signing, which took place on Tuesday at the 7th Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference in Lagos, followed Senegal's preparations for its first oil and gas production before the end of the year.

This report is courtesy of the Punch NG, a Nigerian news agency. Senegal's envoy, Deputy Permanent Secretary, COS Petrogaz, Republic of Senegal, Mamadou Fall Kane, said that Senegal had much to learn from Nigeria, which had achieved 54% local content of a 70% target by 2027.

“I conceived this partnership framework with the NCDMB for the past year, and it is very fulfilling that this event is holding today. With the signing of this collaboration, Senegal has a lot to learn from Nigeria on how to deepen its local content target. This would go a long way to benefit all Senegalese as the country moves towards developing our natural resources”, he stated.

Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, emphasized that the cooperation was not just to enhance local content in Senegal, but also a business-to-business partnership and capacity building in Senegal.

Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, urged collaboration among African countries to make additional hydrocarbon discoveries on the continent in his Keynote presentation.

“In the next twenty years, energy demand in Africa is expected to increase in the order of 30-35% to support the projected increase in population and industrialization. This presents an enormous opportunity for us to form partnerships across the continent and build a sustainable future,” Mele Kyari said.

“The need for partnership is reinforced as more African countries continue to make hydrocarbon discoveries. We should collaborate and share knowledge and help each other in critical areas including technology, exploration and production, research and development, technical expertise, and human capacity development to spread the wealth within the continent,” he added.

Geological Survey Authority requires $200m investment to transmit real-time seismic data on

The Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA) requires a US$200 million investment to establish a national seismic network for enhanced earthquake monitoring.

According to Isaac Kuuwan Mwimbelle, Acting Director-General of GGSA, the network would enable the provision of real-time seismic data to ensure the safety of the citizenry.

Speaking at a workshop in Accra, he said the network would allow the Authority to transmit real-time information on earthquake and other happenings to inform the development of earthquake-resilient structures.

He said the GGSA currently depends on data from the Weija and Achimota observatory stations as well as other stations dotted across the country.

He noted that, assessment of earthquake was carried-out manually by field officers for data which was then transmitted through a satellite, which Mr Mwimbelle said, was not effective and brings about delay in data transmission, hence the need to switch to a SIM modem platform for effective transmission.

“The absence of seismic network is a challenge to the operations of GGSA in terms of monitoring earthquake.

What we do now is go to the field to gather data before we are able to respond to queries on earthquake. That means we delay in communicating information that borders on the safety of citizens. We need an investment in the network to enable the GGSA transmit real-time data on earthquake,” he added.

Mr Mwimbelle said the network would enable the authority to disseminate safety information to the public through their personal devices.

He stated that, the authority had engaged the government on the need to set up the seismic

observatory network, make it fully functional and resource it to be able to transmit realtime data.

In the meantime, the Director-General said the GGSA had intensified discussions with managers of high-rise buildings and other state agencies including the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to sensitise them to earthquake safety response.

He said the Authority was formulating legislations to enforce adherence to safety

mechanisms in the development of buildings in the country.

The Director-General rejected claims about the lack of earthquake prediction by the GGSA saying that “earthquakes cannot be predicted but rather we forecast by looking at current happenings to keep citizens on alert so that the impact will be minimal.”

The absence of seismic network is a challenge to the operations of GGSA in terms of monitoring earthquake.

Map of Ghana showing the study area. Source: Ghana Geological Survey Department.

African Development Bank’s SEFA approves $5 million in grants to set up super energy service companies in three countries

The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) of the African Development Bank has approved a technical assistance grant of $5.03 million to implement the Africa Super Energy Service Companies (ESCO) acceleration program in Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.

SEFA is a bank-managed multi-donor special fund that works to unlock private sector investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Super ESCOs are vehicles that channel funds into public sector energy efficiency investments such as hospitals, schools, and street lighting, paving the way for private investment. The acceleration program catalyzes private sector investments in energy efficiency by operationalizing Super ESCOs, thus stimulating the transition toward more sustainable and greener economies.

The grant will support the training of a team to operate Super ESCOs and support private ESCOs in the three countries to develop their Energy Performance Contract services. Private ESCOs provide services to energy users to design and implement energy efficiency options. The funding will

also underwrite the development of harmonized regional certification schemes for ESCOs and energy service professionals, including energy auditors, managers, and energy savings measurement and verification professionals.

“This innovative program will enable Senegal to establish its Super ESCO and boost the energy efficiency market for increased energy performance in the public and private sectors,” said Mr. Saer Diop, Director-General of Senegal’s Agence pour l’Economie et la Maîtrise de l4Energie (AEME), which promotes energy efficiency.

Mohamed Chérif, African Development Bank Senegal Country Manager, said: “Super ESCOs are an efficient tool that governments can draw on to leverage private sector resources to improve the energy efficiency of public facilities and other key energy-consuming sectors. I am pleased that Senegal will be one of the first countries to benefit from the Africa Super Energy Service Companies Acceleration Program.”

The acceleration program is paving the way for a successful implementation of downstream energy efficiency investment programs in which the African Development Bank, the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, and other stakeholders will invest.

Super ESCOs are vehicles for channelling funds into public sector energy efficiency investments. |Image: AfDB

Koobi Fora Museum , Kenya

Ruzawi Plantation: Credit-SAAS

The lost town of Beta Samati

Archaeology surveying is the process of gathering information about the past through excavation and surveying. It can take a variety of forms and can be either intensive or non-intrusive. Archaeology surveying can provide important information about human activities during the past. It can be an important step before archaeological excavations take place.

During archaeological field work in Africa, geophysical methods are increasingly used. Until recently, magnetic surveying was not widely used in sub-Saharan regions. This new technique is now widely used in sub-Saharan archaeology. In the Chad Basin, the Zilum site is part of the Gajiganna Culture and dates back to 600-400 BC.

Archaeology surveying is an important part of conservation efforts and can help preserve and protect African cultural heritage. Through this project, researchers will document previously unknown archaeological and cultural heritage sites. They will focus on sites that are under threat from urban growth, conflicts, and infrastructural development. Researchers will receive in-country training to identify archaeological sites and maintain database records.

Surveys are important reconnaissance tools in African archaeology, but the amount of surface research is still limited. This article reviews the state of surface archaeology in Southern Africa, reviews its role in

landscape archaeology, and considers Bower's methodological concerns. It also presents a case study from the Tankwa Karoo region of South Africa.

Surveying in Africa is critical, but unless you have the correct equipment and trained archaeologists, the field will be a difficult and time-consuming process. But if you have the proper training and a keen eye, it will yield rewards. The benefits of conducting archaeological surveys are significant and well worth the effort. If you are interested in learning more about archaeological surveys in Africa, here are some tips:

The 2004 survey season established an extensive and diverse archaeological record. It identified previously undocumented tell sites on floodplains. The data indicate three distinct stages in the history of the region's human settlement: the foraging phase, a lengthy period of cultivator-forager economies, and the second phase of smallscale farming.

An important consideration in archaeological surveying is visibility. If visibility is good, researchers will use fieldwalking to systematically walk through an area looking for artifacts and archaeological indicators.

They will also take notes about the surrounding environment at the time. This method is most effective when the area is flat and has little vegetation. Because artifacts

tend to move to the surface of the soil, fieldwalking does not always detect them.

Archaeology surveying methods vary considerably, but the basic principles of all methods are the same. The method of surveying must be appropriate for the archaeological site and the site's location. Before deciding on the surveying method, archaeologists must first define the study area and become familiar with its natural characteristics. Another method of archaeological surveying is by using remote sensing techniques. These techniques allow archaeologists to conduct subsurface testing without disturbing the surface. One technique uses a proton magnetometer to measure the strength of the earth's magnetic field. Unscathed dirt registers a smooth plane when the device is placed on it. Disturbed dirt, such as ditches, will alter the magnetic reading. The method is effective in detecting middens, ditches, and burned structures.

Surveying in Africa is critical, but unless you have the correct equipment and trained archaeologists, the field will be a difficult and time-consuming process.

But if you have the proper training and a keen eye, it will yield rewards. The benefits of conducting archaeological surveys are significant and well worth the effort

Gedi Ruins, Kenya

The Challenges of Underwater Electronics

Water or corrosion-resistance is a necessary application feature for an underwater electronic device. These include marine sensors and acoustic devices that can be used in deep sea environments or to monitor structures or other underwater elements.

By Dorcas Kang'ereha

Underwater electronics are electronic devices that can operate in the ocean and resist water penetration or tampering. These devices are often used in underwater navigation, positioning and communication systems for recreational or professional use.

Despite the obvious advantages of this technology, there are many challenges to overcome before it is practical to commercialize such devices. Among these, a major concern is the resistance to saltwater and other environmental conditions.

A common method of achieving waterresistance is by sealing the device or circuitry within an outer protective layer. However, this is not always the best option since it cannot guarantee protection from all external forces. In fact, in order to make a product completely waterproof it is often necessary to use a complex sealing technology involving multiple layers and various types of sealants.

Another approach to ensuring waterresistance is by making the device waterproof in the sense of allowing it to be immersed in water without damaging the electronics inside. This is a more advanced approach and requires specific sealing techniques to prevent the device from being penetrated by water.

An example of this is the new generation of water meters for residential and commercial usage which have a waterproof housing which is sealed to ensure that water can't get in. The system also has a sensor that monitors the level of water in the house or commercial building.

There are also many other applications where water-resistance is a necessary feature of an electronic device. These include marine sensors and acoustic devices that can be used in deep sea environments or to monitor structures or other underwater elements.

The development of a waterproof packaging system is required in these types of applications because the environment

and operational load are not only from water but also influenced by other factors like temperature changes, pressure differences and other stresses such as mineral aging effects or microorganisms that can attack the device in the long term.

To address these issues, a series of new packaging technologies and materials have been developed. These technologies are based on organic potting compounds and are designed to withstand permanent media exposure in seawater at a depth of up to 50 meters.

This research is part of the National Science

Foundation-funded project 'The Internet of Underwater Things' (IoUT) to develop smart interconnected devices and networks that can connect underwater vehicles.

Optical Wireless Communication: A New Way to Communicate Underwater

Underwater optical wireless communication is a relatively new technology that enables high data rates and moderate distances communication in undersea environments using laser beams of light. This type of communication could be ideal for a variety of application such as real-time video transmission or control of remotely operated

vehicles.

In contrast to acoustic and RF communications, optical wireless communication can be a great advantage due to its higher bandwidth. Moreover, it can provide more information to the receiver with low latency.

As the amount of data increases, more and more applications will be developed for underwater optical wireless communication. Consequently, more and more research is necessary on UOWC technologies in order to improve the quality of these systems.

Aerial Surveying

One of the major technological breakthroughs that has been made in the field of aerial surveying is the use of LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensors. This helps to see through trees and ground cover, which can make it harder for an aerial vehicle to capture detailed and accurate imagery

In Africa, a vast amount of land is still unmapped. Using drones, this can be easily achieved at a fraction of the cost. This allows for fast and accurate mapping in both 2D and 3D. This technology can be used by a number of industries, including construction, land surveying, mining, inspection, agriculture and forestry, emergency management and humanitarian response.

Aerial Surveying in Africa

The use of drones for aerial surveying in Africa has been increasing significantly. It has become a more environmentally friendly form of surveying, which is ideal for remote and difficult-to-reach areas. UAVs are also more flexible, allowing them to access areas that would otherwise be difficult or impossible for manned aircraft.

One of the major technological breakthroughs that has been made in the field of aerial surveying is the use of LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensors. This helps to see through trees and ground cover, which can make it harder for an aerial vehicle to capture detailed and accurate imagery.

This type of sensor is essential for highly accurate surveys like mineral exploration, geophysical surveying and environment monitoring. It has also made it possible to collect high-density point cloud data for use in Geographic Information Systems.

Aerial Digital Imagery

The use of aerial digital imagery has been increasing in Africa over the years. This is mainly because it is faster and easier to

collect than traditional analogue techniques, as well as providing excellent spatial and spectral resolutions.

During the past decade, Africa has witnessed a significant change in the aerial digital imagery sector. This was primarily because of the development of a number of different specialized sensor technologies which allow for a range of different applications.

Another key change in the aerial digital imagery sector has been the emergence of new software and algorithms that allow for greater accuracy and efficiency. Moreover, this has enabled users to have more flexibility when it comes to the way they use this data.

Aerial digital imagery can also be used for more precise crop surveys, such as when determining the crop yield in a given area or analyzing the effects of different soil types. This can help farmers to better manage their crops in order to maximize their yield. It can also be used for assessing the condition of a site and identifying potential hazards. This helps to protect the environment and improve the safety of both people and animals.

The development of drones with advanced imaging technologies is changing the way we do surveys in Africa and globally. This has created a market that is growing rapidly and is expected to continue doing so in the coming decades.

This is an important tool for the world to have when it comes to aerial surveys, as it allows us to get more accurate and detailed data without spending as much money on it. It has also been proven to be safer and more efficient than traditional methods.

Drone is an important tool for the world to have when it comes to aerial surveys, as it allows us to get more accurate and detailed data without spending as much money on it.

Image:microdrones

Autonomous Marine Vehicles Global Market Report 2023

By Reportlinker

The global autonomous marine vehicles market is expected to grow from $1,994.26 million in 2021 to $2,298.08 million in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.2%. The Russia-Ukraine war disrupted the chances of global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, at least in the short term. The war between these two countries has led to economic sanctions on multiple countries, surge in commodity prices, and supply chain disruptions, causing inflation across goods and services effecting many markets across the globe. The autonomous marine vehicles market is expected to grow to $4,147.97 million in 2026 at a CAGR of 15.9%.

The autonomous marine vehicles market consists of sales of submarine gliders and autonomous underwater vehicles.Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers.

The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

Autonomous marine vehicles are robotic equipment that travels below or on the surface of the water without requiring input from a human operator.

North America was the largest region in the autonomous marine vehicles market in 2022. Middle East was the second largest region in the autonomous marine vehicles market.

The regions covered in the autonomous marine vehicles market report are AsiaPacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, and Africa.

The main types of autonomous marine vehicles are surface vehicles and underwater

vehicles.A surface vehicle is a car for transportation on land, as opposed to a subway car or any other elevated car.

The different applications involved are military & defence, archaeological, exploration, oil & gas, environmental protection and monitoring, search and salvage operations, and oceanography. The technologies involved are imaging, navigation, communication, collision avoidance, and propulsion.

The autonomous marine vehicle market is being driven by a rise in hydrographic, oceanographic, and environmental surveys conducted globally.A hydrographic survey measure describes and maps features that can be found underwater.

The main purpose of conducting these surveys is to produce navigational charts essential for the safe transit of vessels. An oceanographic survey helps with the accurate understanding of marine and freshwater environments for port and harbour development, wastewater and industrial outfalls, power plant intakes and outfalls, and offshore disposals.

An autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) provides an efficient method of undertaking a hydrographic survey, as it saves both cost and time.It is also flexible and convenient, which allows for faster deployment for several survey requirements, from event surveys to large coastal surveys.

For instance, according to the world’s first autonomous hydrographic survey, by 4D Ocean, after the channel Coastal Observatory (CCO) commissioned it to carry out a hydrographic survey of the seabed that is offshore of Hurst Spit, Western Solent, with the help of a SeaRobotics ASV 2.5.

The vulnerability of ships to cyber threats due to automation is a major restraint for the autonomous marine vehicle market.This is mainly because cyberspace and its associated infrastructure are vulnerable to a versatile range of risks coming from cyber threats and attacks.

The use of automation, which negates the need for human intervention on ships and in ports, increases the chances of security breaches.A cyber-attack can misguide an autonomous ship to move in a different direction or move to a separate port, which

Unmanned Marine Vehicles |Image: Courtessy of openpPR for illustration purposes

can lead to misplacement and delay of goods and services.

For example, container ship and supply vessel operator A.P. Moller-Maersk became a victim of a cyber-attack that resulted in a loss of around $250–300 million for the company. According to a survey by law firm Clyde & Co and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST), over twothirds of marine industry executives surveyed from across the world fear that unmanned/ autonomous ships present a greater cybersecurity risk than traditional ships.

Maritime drone swarming for better surveillance and investigation capabilities is an emerging trend in the autonomous marine vehicle market.Maritime drone swarms are a large group of underwater vehicles moving together for a particular purpose.

The drone swarm has a wide range of capabilities in defence applications since it is capable of performing surveillance and investigation tasks followed by defensive or offensive countermeasures.As the swarm works collectively to navigate through the underwater environment, it senses a wider area in a shorter time by making use of several sensing techniques to build a comprehensive map of the environment.

For instance, the European Union (EU) is currently funding a research project called Ocean2020, which will facilitate a combination of drones and unmanned submarines into swarms or fleet units. In another example, the US Navy’s Undersea Warfare Center approved a grant of $78,000 for Aquabotix’s SwarmDiver technology to support the US Navy and allied vessels.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has regulations related to ballast water management in marine vehicles.Ballast water

is defined as water that is pumped inside a marine vehicle to maintain safe operating conditions and operations.

Regulation D-3 by the IMO requires that ballast water management systems that use active substances be approved following the specifications defined by the IMO.As per the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, active substances are those which include a virus or a fungus, having a general or specific action on or against harmful aquatic organisms or pathogens.

Hence, regulations such as these would keep a check on manufacturers of ballast water management systems as well as the companies in the autonomous marine vehicle market.

The countries covered in the autonomous marine vehicles market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the UK, USA.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from goods and/or

NTNU AMOS research areas (from the left): Mapping and monitoring, intelligent ships and operations, intelligent marine structures and operations and robotic platforms.|

Source: NTNU AMOS |image: credit Annika Bremvåg

services sold within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of currency (in USD ($) unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values – that is, they are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the specified market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

The autonomous marine vehicles market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides autonomous marine vehicle market statistics, including global market size, regional shares, competitors with an autonomous marine vehicle market share, detailed autonomous marine vehicle market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the autonomous marine vehicle industry. This autonomous marine vehicles market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

Google company unveils drone delivery-network ambition

By Chris Vallance

Asubsidiary of Alphabet, which owns Google, hopes to develop drone delivery-network technology able to handle millions of orders, within 12 months. Operating drones as a network, Wing says, will improve efficiency.

The technology is being tested "at scale" in Logan, Australia, where Wing delivers up to 1,000 packages a day. The company has also started trial drone deliveries in the Dublin suburb of Lusk.

And it says it and other companies are in talks with the Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority about agreeing regulations to allow drone deliveries in the UK.

'Coffee delivery'

Chief executive Adam Woodworth says the delivery system will look "more like an efficient data network than a traditional transportation system".

In the trial, "we do a lot of grocery delivery, we do a lot of prepared food delivery, we do a lot of coffee delivery", he says.

At present, consumers are not charged extra for drone deliveries. The company is not disclosing what they may ultimately cost.

But to be financially viable, drone companies will have to make a large number of deliveries, experts say.

'Big data'

Dr Steve Wright, of the University of West of England, said it was unsurprising Wing was one of the companies trying to do so.

"Everybody is still working on the drones themselves - these things are going to operate night and day, far longer than we've done before - but thoughts are already turning to the bigger picture," he said.

"The first question that is being grappled with right now with is regulation. However, the next question is looming large - how to manage and direct this vast number of robots. I don't think that it's any coincidence that Wing and Amazon share one clear heritagebig data."

The Wing Delivery Network comprises three basic hardware elements.

• the delivery drones

• pads where drones take off, land and recharge their batteries

• autoloaders that allow companies to leave packages for collection

Using these elements, the company says, drones can pick up, drop off, travel, and charge in whatever pattern makes the most sense for the entire system - rather than just flying from one base to a customer and back.

"A tangible example of that would be: the aircraft takes off at one location, it might fly to another business to go pick up a box, and then it might fly to the delivery location and then, rather than returning to the pad it took off from, fly to another adjacent one," Mr Woodworth told the BBC's Tech Tent programme.

An advantage of the system working as a network is it is able to quickly adapt to peaks in demand in particular areas. Charging-pad locations can also be added rapidly.

The autoloader resembles a pair of fishing rods, angled in a V shape. Shop staff hang small packages from a hook and the drones hover above to winch them up.

The system also involves a high level of automation - when an aircraft is turned on, the company says, it checks it:

• is in the right place

• has the right software

• is approved to fly

And ground-based pilots can supervise fleets of delivery drones to ensure they are operating safely and efficiently - rather than just monitoring a single aircraft.

Mr Woodworth said more civil-aviation

regulators around the globe were adopting rules that would allow these sorts of operations.

But there are challenges to be overcome. Wing has faced complaints about noise from some Logan residents.

The company has invested "a lot of work into making the aircraft as quiet as they can be", Mr Woodworth says. And planning software has been designed to avoid creating "drone highways", where every flight passes over the same houses.

A Wing drone flying in Lusk Image: WING

A Wing drone flying on a delivery taskImage: WING

Impact Oil & Gas launches exploration campaign offshore Namibia amidst African energy crisis

Block 2912 may contain a highly material westerly extension of the Venus field, if successful test, this potential extension of the Venus accumulation into Block 2912 and provide an understanding of the structure and reservoir quality.

Africa-focused, exploration company is pleased to announce the imminent commencement of a multi-well drilling programme in Namibia, following the Venus light oil discovery in Block 2913B (PEL 56).

Siraj Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of Impact, commented: “Following a transformational 2022 for Impact, we are excited to see both the Tungsten Explorer and the Deepsea Mira embark on this extensive drilling programme, designed to accelerate the appraisal of the Venus field and drill the first exploration well in our neighbouring licence, Block 2912. This programme will provide vital information

that will hopefully enable the joint venture to press ahead with development”.

Appraisal of Venus discovery in Block 2913B (PEL 56)

The Venus discovery is a world class light oil and associated gas field, located in the Orange Basin, approximately 290 kilometres off the coast of southern Namibia, and in water depth of approximately 3,000 metres. The well was drilled to a total depth of 6,296 metres, by the Maersk Voyager drillship, and encountered a high quality light oil-bearing sandstone reservoir of Lower Cretaceous age.

Drilling of Venus -1A, the first appraisal well on the Venus discovery, will be located approximately 13 kilometres to the north of the Venus -1X discovery well and drilled using the Tungsten Explorer drillship. The Deepsea Mira will then be used to conduct a drill stem test at this location.

The Deepsea Mira will then re-enter and side-track the Venus -1X well and conduct a flow test. The objective of this programme is to further evaluate the Venus reservoir and deliver dynamic data.

Impact (through its wholly owned subsidiary, Impact Oil and Gas Namibia (Pty) Ltd) holds a 20% working interest in Block 2913B (PEL 56). PEL 56 is operated by TotalEnergies EP Namibia B.V (“TotalEnergies”) who holds, a 40% working interest, and QatarEnergy and NAMCOR respectively hold a 30% and 10% working interest in PEL 56.

Exploration and potential Appraisal of Block 2912 (PEL 91)

Block 2912 may contain a highly material westerly extension of the Venus field. Operations by TotalEnergies during 2023, on behalf of the Joint Venture, are designed to explore and, if successful test, this potential extension of the Venus accumulation into Block 2912 and provide an understanding of the structure and reservoir quality.

TotalEnergies will commence drilling operations in Block 2912 during mid-2023. Exploration well Nara -1X will be drilled and flow tested by the Tungsten Explorer and, if successful, an appraisal well, Nara -1A, will then be drilled and flow tested.

Impact (through its wholly owned subsidiary, Impact Oil and Gas Namibia (Pty) Ltd) also holds an 18.89% working interest in the adjacent Block 2912 (PEL 91), where it is also partnered with TotalEnergies (Operator, with 37.78%), QatarEnergy (28.33%) and NAMCOR (15%).

Phil Birch, Exploration Director of Impact, commented: “This exciting and active 2023 work programme is aimed at proving the flow potential of the Venus reservoir, and investigate a potentially material extension into the adjacent licence. If successful, it will result in two potentially fully appraised early production centres, one on Block 2913B and the second on Block 2912”.

Map of Block 2913B and Block 2912, offshore Namibia |image Impact Oil & Gas

Ocean Infinity Expands Robotic Fleet with Six Additional AUVs

Kongsberg Maritime has announced that Ocean Infinity has signed an order for six HUGIN Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) rated to 3,000 metres depth. The vehicles are equipped with a geophysical sensor suite and the latest-generation Kongsberg batteries. The new vehicles will be mobilized for global operations, enabled by Ocean Infinity’s remote operations infrastructure. The vehicles will integrate as part of the Armada fleet of uncrewed and optionally-crewed vessels and will augment the company’s existing AUVs, rated to 6,000 metres depth.

Dan Hook, CTO of Ocean Infinity, said: “Lessening the environmental impact of operations at sea is core to our business, and with an expanded fleet of robotics we’ll have greater capacity to offer sustainable offshore data acquisition services. Using these AUVs as part of our robotic fleet, we’ll be supporting the growing renewables sector with remote data and inspection services.”

NOAA Unveils 2022 Hydrographic Survey Season Plans

Saipem has been awarded a drilling contract offshore the Ivory Coast worth $400 million by the Joint Venture Eni Côte d'Ivoire Ltd. and Petroci. This value is to be considered gross of the leasing costs of the Deep Value Driller vessel that will be used for the operations.

The contract includes the seventh-generation drillship named Deep Value Driller, one of the most modern in the world, for which Saipem has entered into a charter agreement with the company Deep Value Driller.

NOAA hydrographic survey ships and contractors are preparing for the 2022 hydrographic survey season in U.S. coastal waters and beyond. The ships collect bathymetric data (i.e. map the seafloor) to support nautical charting, modelling and research, but also collect other environmental data to support a variety of ecosystem sciences.

Saipem awarded $400 million drilling contract offshore West Africa

NOAA considers hydrographic survey requests from stakeholders such as marine pilots, local port authorities, the U.S. Coast Guard and the boating community, and also considers other hydrographic and NOAA science priorities in determining where to survey and when. It is worth visiting NOAA’s ‘living’ story map to find out more about the mapping projects and whether a hydrographic vessel will be in your area this year.

The award of this contract represents an important consolidation of Saipem's presence in the Ivory Coast, a strategic area where the company is currently executing the project for the development of the Baleine oil and gas field. The field was discovered thanks to the drilling activities of the Saipem 10000 and Saipem 12000 vessels.

Saipem is strengthening the competitiveness of its fleet by leveraging its consolidated expertise in the selection and management of technologically advanced vessels.

Saipem 12000; Source: Saipem

This latest order from Ocean Infinity takes their fleet of HUGIN AUVs to more than 20.

Ground Penetrating Radar

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is an electromagnetic technique that can detect changes in the subsurface without disturbing the surface. It works at a low frequency and can reach depths of 30 to 40 meters. The process is non-destructive, safe, and accurate. It can identify metallic and non-metallic objects, voids, and other structures. It can also be used to detect excavations, back-filled areas, and other ground disturbances.

GPR is most effective in favorable conditions, such as sandy soils, which allow the transmission of the radar pulse. It is unique in its ability to detect small objects and determine their depths. However, it has limitations when used in less-than-ideal conditions. In particular, fine-grained sediments can scatter the radar signal, which limits its depth penetration.

The total round-trip time between the antenna and the subsurface feature is important for determining how far the radar can penetrate. This time is dependent on the amount of scattering and EM energy that is released from the target. The amount of scattering depends on the water content of the subsurface and the concentration of free ions in the soil. Additionally, heavy vegetation, water on the surface of the ground, and other factors can affect the EM wave.

GPR equipment consists of a transmitter and receiver antenna and a radar control unit. The control unit synchronizes the signals, controls the transmitter and samples the receiver, and transmits the signals to a recording or display device. The resulting images are then processed and interpreted.

Ground Penetrating Radar is an effective and versatile tool for detecting metallic objects. It works best when targets are made of high contrast, such as metallic materials. The versatility of this technique makes it an invaluable tool for a wide variety of practices. In addition to its effectiveness for detecting underground structures, it can also be used for archeological research.

GPR works by sending high-frequency electromagnetic waves through the subsurface. These waves then reflect back to the receiving antenna. This process allows GPR to detect changes in the EM properties of the materials. EM properties vary according to the type of soil or rock material, bulk density, and water content. An antenna is placed on the ground surface, and the signals are reflected off the boundary where there is a difference in EM property.

GPR can penetrate up to 100 feet in some cases. However, its depth is limited by the conductivity of the material. High-conductivity materials such as granite and limestone will not absorb the waves as quickly as lower-conductivity materials do. However, the depth of GPR penetration can be determined using the information gathered by GPR.

GPR is an effective tool for mapping underground utilities and locating materials inside concrete. The technology has many applications in engineering and construction. It can also be used for structural assessment. For example, it can determine the level of degradation of concrete in a structure, enabling remediation efforts.

A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) mounted to a scanning cart.|image:

Terawulf Energizes First NuclearPowered Bitcoin Mining Facility in the US, Plans to Expand Operations

By Jamie Redman

Terawulf, a bitcoin mining operation, has announced that it has energized the first nuclear-powered bitcoin mining facility in the United States at the company’s Nautilus Facility in Pennsylvania. According to the company, approximately 1 exahash per second (EH/s) or close to 8,000 applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC) bitcoin miners are now online, and another 8,000 mining rigs will be delivered shortly.

expects to deploy another 8,000 miners in the coming weeks to reach 1.9 EH/s by May. According to the company’s press release about the Nautilus energization, Terawulf will receive a fixed electricity rate of around $0.02 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for the next five years.

nuclear-powered mining facility benefits from what is arguably the lowest cost power in the sector, just $0.02/kWh for a term of five years.”

Nuclear-Powered Bitcoin Mining

—

A Milestone for Carbon-Free Bitcoin Mining Terawulf announced that the first behindthe-meter bitcoin mining facility powered by nuclear energy has been energized, with nearly 8,000 ASIC mining rigs now operational. The current 8,000 account for 1 EH/s of SHA256 hashpower, but Terawulf

The Nautilus facility is considered a milestone as it is the first bitcoin mining facility of its kind to receive carbon-free energy 24/7 from the 2.5 GW Susquehanna nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. “With the recent energization of the Nautilus facility earlier this month, approximately 16,000 of Terawulf’s owned miners, representing 1.9 EH/s of self-mining capacity, are on-site and being brought online daily,” said Paul Prager, the chairman and CEO of Terawulf, in a statement. “The Nautilus

While 2022 was rough on bitcoin mining operations, 2023 has been easier on bitcoin miners due to a significant rise in the price of bitcoin (BTC) since the end of last year. Additionally, several firms are expanding mining operations, with some locating to Pennsylvania. Seven days ago, Mawson Infrastructure Group launched a mining operation based in Pennsylvania after exiting Australia. In addition to the 50-MW Nautilus facility, Terawulf announced that it is expanding operations at its Lake Mariner facility in New York. This move will increase the Lake Mariner operation from 60 MW to 110 MW.

Nuclear-Power plant |image: MDPI

Reviving Nigeria’s neglected $700bn mining sector

By Natasha Teja

Amid the global push for green energy solutions, Nigeria’s reserves of critical minerals such as lithium, manganese and nickel are in high demand, prompting the government to release a series of initiatives that will fast-track foreign direct investment into the sector.

On February 8, the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), a pan-African multilateral development financial institution, established a partnership with the Nigerian mining sovereign wealth fund, Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF). The partnership aims to accelerate commercial scale, private sector-led mining projects by providing much-needed funding and technical advisory.

Nigeria’s mining sector boasts 44 different types of commercially viable minerals worth an estimated $700bn, according to SMDF estimates; but limited capital injections, inadequate geo-mapping tools and widespread illegal mining have left the west African nation struggling to capitalise on its reserves.

Hajiya Shinkafi, CEO of SMDF tells fDi: “We will target all these minerals and more. Ongoing exploration efforts in Nigeria have identified excellent lithium prospects that we will look to support.”

Ongoing exploration efforts in Nigeria have identified excellent lithium prospects that we will look to support.

Hajiya Shinkafi, CEO at SMDF: "One of the key issues stalling the sector’s growth is the lack of sophisticated geo-scientific data gathering tools. For decades, corporations have largely relied on illegal mining activities to gather information on the types, quantities and locations of minerals available."

“Historically, it’s actually been one of the main pathfinders for a lot of junior mining companies to make these discoveries,” says

Segun Lawson, CEO at Thor Explorations — a Canada-listed mining firm that heads AFC’s flagship gold mine project in Nigeria.

“These illegal miners are mining at a much smaller scale with rudimentary methods, and then larger corporations are following off the backs of these small discoveries,” he adds. Illegal mining caused an outbreak of lead poisoning in 2010 that affected 18,000 people and killed at least 200 children, according to a report by the UN. Unfazed by its risks, artisanal miners continue to dominate mining activities in Nigeria’s northwestern regions. “However, if you look across west Africa there are a lot of artisanal and illegal mining, it’s not just unique to Nigeria,” Mr Lawson says.

Reports of banditry and insurgencies across several mining areas, including Nigeria’s states of Zamfara and Kaduna, have also discouraged foreign investors. In November 2022, a local terror group threatened to attack a gold mine in the Bukuyum local government area of Zamfara after miners refused to pay a 10% levy.

During a local interview conducted last month, Nigeria’s minister of mines and steel development admitted that “we do not have the resources to pre-empt all these illegal activities because Nigeria is vast”.

Instead, the government has turned its focus on data gathering projects to add legitimacy

to the sector. Osam Iyahen, senior director and head of natural resources at AFC, tells fDi that “the Nigerian government has taken steps to enable a more accurate delineation of the types and quantities of minerals available by tapping into a funding programme with the World Bank to advance airborne geo-mapping exercises”.

The Nigerian government is also supporting a large number of infrastructure initiatives to build transportation links for the movement of equipment to mining sites and the evacuation of minerals for sale and export.

Prior to AFC’s partnership with SMDF, the development institution collaborated with Thor Explorations to finance the Segilola Gold Mine. The mine is currently Nigeria’s most advanced gold project after achieving commercial production in 2021.

The company’s CEO hopes that its success will catalyse foreign investments into the country, but acknowledges the challenges that mining projects face.

“Statistically speaking, the number of conversions from an exploration license to a discovery is very low. Then from an exploration to an operation license, that number is even lower,” says Mr Lawson.

However, he adds: “Consistent exploration and more success stories will only lead to further growth in the sector.”

Hard work: Nigeria’s resource-rich regions have long been exploited by illegal mining operations. Image via Mercury Bloomberg

Unmanned Underwater Vehicle & Unmanned Surface Vehicle Market

Upcoming Trends, Opportunities and Forecast to 2025

By Sameer Joshi

The Latest research report study on “Unmanned Underwater Vehicle & Unmanned Surface Vehicle Market Size, Global Analysis and Forecast to 2025” the market is expected to grow from US$ 991.2 Million in 2017 and is anticipated to escalate at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2018 to 2025 to account for US$ 1,482.6 Million by 2025. The report include key understanding on the driving factors of this growth and also highlights the prominent players in the market and their developments.

In 2017, North America accounted for the largest revenue share of little more than one-third of the total market share, followed

by Europe. The global unmanned underwater vehicle and unmanned surface vehicle market is experiencing a steady growth in the current scenario and is anticipated to rise in the coming years. The market for unmanned underwater vehicle and unmanned surface vehicle consists of well-established players across the globe, which invests huge amounts in order to deliver the most advanced technology to the naval forces, commercial sectors, and scientific research institutions and organizations.

Key findings of the study: From a growth perspective, the Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to witness a lucrative

CAGR growth rate of 8.6% during the forecast period

Based on application, the defense segment is projected to witness significant lucrative profitable opportunities with projected CAGR growth rate of 6.8% Based on payload, the camera segment is projected to grow with a CAGR of 7.2% Cameras play an important role in underwater imaging of paths, various threats such as underwater mines, and enemy submarines among others. The cameras after capturing the images, sends them to the processing units to furnish the information related to it. The cameras are being installed on autonomous surface vessel and underwater

vessel for detecting and monitoring near-by and distant obstacles on the way. Camera capture short range video images, acoustic sonar which has become the most important tool for underwater sensing. The imaging companies are constantly focusing on increasing the capabilities of cameras as the demand for high end and high megapixel cameras are increasing among the unmanned marine drone manufacturers. The high-end cameras are highly efficient in providing better output and high quality facilitating the end users to gather a clear understanding of underwater world.

Asia Pacific is a world’s fastest developing region and accommodates majority of the global economy, therefore it is gaining critical attention from the economically strong provinces including U.S for growth opportunities in terms of business and employment. Further, the region also accredits most of the world’s nuclear power and in coming years it is anticipated to be among the strongest region in terms of Defense and security forces. Furthermore, it has also been projected that approximately 60% of the increase in global defense acquisition and R&D will be driven by APAC countries.

APAC have been an active participant in the UUV/USV market for over a decade now and have made significant development since then. China, Japan and South Korea are the pioneers in UUV development in APAC, whereas India is rapidly emerging economy in UUV market. Singapore initiated two programs that included Starfish and Meredith. Starfish was developed by National University of Singapore and ST Electronics, whereas Meredith was found by DSO National Labs.

Some of the major software companies are also strengthening unmanned underwater vehicle and unmanned surface vehicle market grip by installing advanced software which enhance the capabilities of the respective vehicles.The manufacturers of unmanned underwater vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles are partnering with various other manufacturers or software companies in order to design, develop advanced technology products. Sometimes partnerships also include modification and improvement of capabilities, which increase the adoption rate of unmanned underwater vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles. Companies such as ASV Global partnered with UK’s National Oceanographic Center in 2018,

for the development of Containerized Autonomous Marine Laboratory to serve the Commonwealth Marine Economies to support Commonwealth Small Island Developing States.

Geographically, the market for unmanned underwater vehicle and unmanned surface vehicles is segmented as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, South America. The most prominent region in the market accounted for North America, pertaining to large number of manufacturers, and suppliers in the region. Moreover, software companies are also enhancing the capabilities of the vehicles by introducing advanced software. In addition, the US Defense authority is continuously investing significant amounts in research and developments, resulting in advanced technology, which in turn is increasing the demand for such unmanned marine systems among US Navy as well as international naval forces. The manufacturers are also acquiring contracts from various commercial sectors across the globe to deploy unmanned marine systems in applications such as oil & gas exploration, environmental monitoring, hydrographic and oceanographic among others.

image source: Naval Technology

Africa needs improved governance

to reap the full benefits of new mining projects

By Jason Mitchell

African countries must allow the mining of minerals to happen if they are to experience significant economic growth, but they have to find a way of minimising the damage to the natural environment and to ensure that profits help local communities.

Africa is a massive region, covering three times as much ground as Europe, across 54 countries, and with a total population of 1.4 billion, which is expected to reach 2.5 billion by the end of 2050. However, it is also the world’s poorest region; in 2021, sub-Saharan Africa had an annual income of $1,600 per head compared with $8,300 in Latin America and the Caribbean and $13,000 in East Asia and the Pacific. In 2022, the UK had a bigger economy than the whole of Africa combined; $3.48tn versus $2.96tn.

In 2021, it is estimated that 490 million Africans lived under the poverty line of $1.90 purchasing power parity equivalent per day, 37 million people more than what was projected without the Covid-19 pandemic.

Africa requires economic growth and lots

of it if its to lift its people out of poverty. Economists estimate that a low-income country must grow at more than 6% a year over many years to start to see significant poverty reduction. The International Monetary Fund estimates that the sub-Saharan economy expanded by only 3.6% in 2022 and forecasts that it will grow by only 3.7% in 2023. That is just not good enough.

Following China’s example

The mining industry provides an obvious source of wealth for Africa, and recent developments in China could prove to be something of a blueprint for African countries. Since China began to open up and reform its economy in 1978, GDP growth has averaged over 9% a year and more than 800 million people been lifted out of poverty, exactly the kind of change that Africa needs.

Africa has some of the world’s biggest deposits of minerals, which are not only valuable in their own right, but could prove essential to the energy transition. Nickel, cobalt, graphite, lithium, and rare earth elements are all in high supply; for instance,

Africa accounts for around 80% of the world’s total supply of platinum, 50% of manganese and two-thirds of cobalt. The continent also holds 40% of the world’s gold reserves and up to 90% of its chromium.

Countries like South Africa, Madagascar, Malawi, Kenya, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi enjoy significant quantities of important rare earths, including neodymium, praseodymium and dysprosium. Ghana is the continent’s largest producer of gold, followed by South Africa and Mali. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is Africa’s largest industrial diamond producer, followed by Botswana and South Africa.

Yet there is a disparity in the continent’s mining industries. Africa is endowed with about 30% of the planet’s mineral reserves, but in 2019, it only produced around 5.5% of the world’s minerals and its global share was valued at $406bn that year, according to the World Mining Congress.

African countries must exploit their mineral wealth. The DRC, for example, has a total

Jason Mitchell is a senior editor at Investment Monitor, with a specialisation in emerging markets. He covered foreign investment in Latin America for 13 years and for the past three years has lived in subSaharan Africa and written widely about the subject from that continent's perspective. Previously, in London, he was editor of Investment Adviser and news editor of Financial Adviser, both of which belong to the Financial Times Group

Jason Mitchell

mineral wealth estimated in the tens of trillions of dollars but the average Congolese person only earns $700 a year. Guinea — a small West African country with only 13.5 million inhabitants — enjoys massive and high-quality bauxite reserves: some 7.4bn metric tons, 23% of the world’s total. Its supply is vital to global aluminium production and for the energy transition to go ahead but the average Guinean only earns $1,440 a year.

By 2040, at least 30 times as much lithium, nickel and other key minerals may be required by the electric car and battery storage industries to meet global climate targets, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Similarly, the rise of low-carbon power generation to meet climate goals means a tripling of mineral demand from this sector by 2040. In May 2021, the IEA declared that the world is undergoing a massive industrial conversion that marks a “shift from a fuel-intensive to a material-intensive energy system”.

Minimising environmental impacts

The potential for mineral transformation creates an enormous economic opportunity for Africa. However, increased mining in the region throws up two major issues that do need addressing — natural habitat loss and inequality. In the end, both these problems are a question of governance.

Further mining will inevitably result in greater deforestation. It is not only the new mining sites that will destroy forests but also all the associated roads and new settlements. The region is already seeing massive destruction of its natural habitat. In 2020, the continent had 636.64m hectares of forest, 16% of the world’s total. But it witnessed the greatest annual rate of net forest loss of any region in the world — at 3.94m ha — between 2010 and 2020.

There is also a big question mark around whether the local communities really gain much economically from all the new mining activity. This is not a challenge unique to Africa; in many cases, it is the elites in wealthy capital cities that enjoy most of the financial rewards from mining.

In Africa specifically, foreign miners headquartered in Europe, North America and China eager to expand their portfolios adds another dimension to this issue, and another type of actor who could take revenue away from local workers.

The need for better governance in Africa

If African countries had better governance, increased mining would not be such a controversial issue. Africa requires ‘responsible mining’, defined as mining that involves and respects all stakeholders, minimises and takes account of its environmental impact and prioritises a fair division of economic and financial benefits. But the crux of the problem is that for responsible mining to really work, a country needs good governance in the first place and most African countries just do not have it.

Transparency International’s Corruption

Perceptions Index ranks 180 countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). In 2021, the sub-Saharan Africa average was 33 — the lowest in the

world — and 44 African countries ranked below 50.

Improving governance in Africa is not an easy thing to do. Many African countries are fragile democracies at best, and in a number of cases they are outright dictatorships. Whenever possible Western governments need to bear pressure on African governments to take steps to become better, more sophisticated democracies, or at least implement aspects of governance such as labour rights and environmental protection.

That in itself is not a straightforward task for many Western governments to do without being accused of colonial-style interference, and reflects a paradox at the heart of much of African mining: more effective mining could deliver great economic benefits and a sense of autonomy for local groups, but should this mining come from foreign companies and over-reaching Western powers, there is a risk of it all being for nought.

Africa stands at an economic threshold. The energy transition – through increased mining – could improve the region’s wealth immeasurably. It is an economic opportunity that must be seized. However, it falls on the continent’s next generation to ensure that their governments are more accountable and that a lot more mining can be balanced at least to some extent with conservation of the natural environment. They must also ensure that the economic benefits of more mining are more evenly spread.

A gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Image by: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg/Getty Images

If African countries had better governance, increased mining would not be such a controversial issue.

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