Dar es Salaam receives gas from Songo Songo field

DAR ES SALAAM, August 6, 2014 – On Monday, after 18 months of disagreements and delays, Tanzania’s largest city was connected via a $2.7-million pipeline to gas production from the Songo Songo field, opening the way for the first commercial supply to homes and businesses.

The $2.7-million pipeline connects the PanAfrican Energy field to a receiving and processing plant on the outskirts of Dar Es Salaam, where it will initially serve the Mikocheni industrial area and 56 homes in development dubbed the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) village, there were 57 homes but one burned down before the project was completed.

John Bura, CEO of pipeline constructor BQ Contractors, spoke to TOGY last week. He said, “Regardless of the difficulties between the partners, project owner TPDC and Songo Songo field operator PanAfrican, this project represents a considerable move towards providing the industrial site of Dar es Salaam with gas, as well as the citizens of the city with reliable access to this source of power.” Previously gas was trucked into the city, putting considerable pressure on Tanzania’s fragile roads.

The contract for the construction of an urban distribution network, to connect the first 56 houses and potentially the homes of another 30,000 people will be tendered on October 5, 2014 and the results published in February 2015.

Bura told TOGY that BQ Contractors is “looking closely” at that tender.

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