The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) has emerged as the leading player in the development of the Songo Songo natural gas project after drilling nine out of the 12 wells currently operating in the offshore gas block.
Deputy Minister for Energy, Salome Makamba, told Parliament on Tuesday that the remaining three wells were drilled by Pan African Energy Tanzania (PAET), the company currently involved in the production operations at the field.
Speaking during the 27th sitting of the Third Meeting of the 13th Parliament in Dodoma, Ms Makamba said the Songo Songo gas block continues to produce an average of 84.7 million cubic feet of natural gas per day in line with prevailing demand.
She was responding to a question from Kilwa South MP Hasnain Gulamabbas Dewji, who sought details on the number of natural gas wells drilled so far on Songo Songo Island.
The update comes at a time when Tanzania continues to strengthen its domestic energy production capacity amid growing demand for gas in electricity generation, industries and households.
Ms Makamba also revealed that the current natural gas development licence for the Songo Songo block is expected to expire in October 2026, prompting ongoing negotiations between the government and PAET over a possible extension.
“The government negotiation team is continuing discussions with PAET on the possibility of extending the licence in order to sustain production activities at the block,” she said.
Songo Songo remains one of Tanzania’s strategic energy assets, supplying natural gas that powers electricity generation plants and supports industrial growth across the country.
The government has in recent years intensified efforts to maximise the contribution of the energy sector to the national economy through increased local participation, infrastructure expansion and strategic investments in natural gas development.
