Introduction
Paul Sinclair:
Charles, it’s great to reconnect. Every time we sit down, the conversation seems to reflect a continent that is moving with renewed purpose. Across Africa, we’re seeing a more confident narrative around natural resources, particularly gas, and a clearer understanding of how these resources can underpin long-term development. Tanzania, in many ways, feels like it’s stepping into a key moment of growth and upstream success. How do you see Tanzania positioned within this broader African energy story?
Eng. Charles Sangweni:
Paul, thank you very much. It is always a pleasure to engage in such important discussions. Indeed, Africa’s energy narrative is evolving rapidly, and Tanzania is proud to be part of this transformation. We believe our country is strategically positioned to contribute significantly to regional energy security and future global energy supply.
What we are witnessing today is the outcome of decades of geological work, institutional development, and strategic investment. Tanzania’s petroleum exploration journey dates back to the early 1950s with initial onshore exploration activities. Since then, the country has steadily built a strong foundation of geological knowledge and upstream capability.
The early gas discoveries at Songo Songo in 1974 and Mnazi Bay in 1982 marked important milestones, confirming Tanzania’s substantial hydrocarbon potential. However, the offshore deepwater discoveries made between 2010 and 2015, particularly within the deep water of Indian ocean, significantly elevated Tanzania’s profile within the global upstream industry.
Today, Tanzania possesses approximately 57.54 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas reserves, positioning the country among Africa’s leading natural gas holders. This scale of resources, combined with the quality of the subsurface geology and strategic geographical location, places Tanzania in a strong position both regionally and internationally.
Tanzania’s Upstream Potential
Paul Sinclair:
That subsurface story is clearly compelling from a rock’s perspective Charles. From the outside, there’s a sense that Tanzania has moved from frontier to something much more exciting with a real risk adjusted opportunity on the table for operators and investors. What is it about the geology that continues to attract international attention?
Eng. Charles Sangweni:
Confidence in any upstream jurisdiction begins with the subsurface. Tanzania offers an exceptional combination of scale, prospectivity, and geological consistency. Our offshore basins, particularly in the Indian Ocean, have demonstrated a proven and working petroleum system with substantial gas accumulations.
The discoveries made in the deepwater confirmed not only the presence of hydrocarbons, but also the repeatability of exploration success across multiple offshore blocks. This is extremely important for investors because it significantly reduces exploration risk while preserving considerable upside potential for long-term commercial development.
At the same time, we should not overlook Tanzania’s onshore and shallow-water opportunities. While offshore gas discoveries have understandably attracted significant international attention, many frontier areas remain underexplored and continue to present promising opportunities. Tanzania is still an emerging basin with substantial untapped potential and that is part of its long-term attractiveness.
Natural Gas and the Energy Future
Paul Sinclair:
Natural gas is clearly central to Tanzania’s strategy. Globally, there’s been a lot of discussion around the role of gas in the energy transition. How does Tanzania view this?
Eng. Charles Sangweni:
For Tanzania, natural gas represents a transformational opportunity and remains a cornerstone of our national development strategy. As a country, our priorities include expanding energy access, accelerating industrialisation, creating employment opportunities, and supporting sustainable economic growth. Natural gas provides a reliable, scalable and relatively cleaner source of energy capable of supporting these national objectives.
It is also important to recognise that natural gas offers lower carbon emissions compared to many other conventional fossil fuels. In this context, gas serves as a pragmatic transition fuel that can support economic development while contributing to global climate and energy transition discussions.
Looking ahead, the opportunities extend beyond domestic utilisation. Through the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, Tanzania has the potential to become a globally competitive LNG exporter, connecting our resources to regional and international markets.
Production and Infrastructure Development
Paul Sinclair:
You touched on production, which is an important point. There’s often a perception that Tanzania is still largely untapped, but there is already meaningful activity underway. Can you expand on that?
Eng. Charles Sangweni:
Absolutely. Tanzania is not starting from zero; we already have an operational natural gas industry that continues to support national economic development.
The Songo Songo and Mnazi Bay gas fields are actively producing and supplying natural gas for domestic consumption. Between 2021 and 2025, Songo Songo and Mnazi Bay collectively contributed billions of cubic feet of natural gas to the domestic market, supporting electricity generation, industrial operations and commercial utilisation across the country.
This production is supported by key national infrastructure, including the National Natural Gas Pipeline which connects southern gas fields to major demand centres such as Dar es Salaam. The availability of reliable gas supplies has played a major role in strengthening power generation capacity and supporting industrial growth.
At the same time, Tanzania continues to invest strategically in midstream infrastructure. The planned LNG project in Lindi represents a major milestone that will unlock export opportunities and position Tanzania as an important regional energy hub. In parallel, pipeline and associated infrastructure development will further strengthen regional connectivity and energy integration.
Policy, Stability, and Investment Climate
Paul Sinclair:
As Tanzania moves into this next phase, the investment environment becomes even more important. How are you ensuring that the country remains competitive and attractive to investors?
Eng. Charles Sangweni:
We fully recognise that upstream petroleum investments are long-term in nature and therefore require stability, predictability and confidence in both the resource base and regulatory framework.
Tanzania has made significant progress in strengthening its institutional and legal framework governing upstream petroleum operations. Our focus remains on transparency, regulatory consistency, accountability and constructive engagement with industry stakeholders.
Our objective is to maintain a balanced investment environment, one that remains attractive and competitive to investors while ensuring that Tanzania derives sustainable value and long-term national benefits from its petroleum resources.
We also strongly believe in continuous dialogue and collaboration with industry players. Through regular engagement, we are able to improve our policies and ensure alignment with evolving global best practices and market realities.
The Next Wave of Partnerships
Paul Sinclair:
As we look ahead, partnerships will be critical. What kind of partners is Tanzania looking to attract in this next phase?
Eng. Charles Sangweni:
We are looking for long-term strategic partners who bring not only financial investment, but also technical expertise, innovation, operational excellence and a genuine commitment to collaboration.
The next phase for Tanzania is focused on execution, advancing LNG development, expanding infrastructure, commercializing resources and integrating Tanzania more effectively into regional and international energy markets. Achieving this requires strong partnerships across the entire petroleum value chain.
We are particularly interested in partners who appreciate the importance of local content development, technology transfer and national capacity building. For Tanzania, petroleum development is not simply about resource extraction; it is about building a sustainable economic ecosystem capable of delivering long-term value to our people and future generations.
Local Content and Capacity Development
Paul Sinclair:
Local content is becoming a defining theme across Africa. How is Tanzania approaching this?
Eng. Charles Sangweni:
Local content is central to Tanzania’s broader vision for sustainable petroleum development. Our objective is to ensure that Tanzanians actively participate in and benefit from the growth of the sector.
This includes creating opportunities for local businesses, strengthening workforce skills, supporting knowledge and technology transfer, and integrating Tanzanian companies into the industry supply chain in a meaningful and competitive manner.
At the same time, we recognise that building national capacity is a gradual process that requires collaboration between government institutions, industry players, universities and training institutions. We remain committed to ensuring that the growth of the petroleum sector contributes directly to national human capital and economic development.
Tanzania at AOW:Energy
Paul Sinclair:
This is exactly where platforms like AOW:Energy come into play. From our perspective, it’s about connecting the right people and turning conversations into action. How do you see Tanzania leveraging this platform?
Eng. Charles Sangweni:
AOW: Energy remains an extremely important platform for Tanzania because it enables direct engagement with the international upstream and investment community.
For us, it is an opportunity to showcase Tanzania’s resource potential, communicate our strategic priorities and attract the next generation of investment partners. We want the global market to clearly understand that Tanzania is ready, we have the resources, the vision, the institutional framework and the commitment required to advance our petroleum sector responsibly and competitively.
We also view AOW:Energy as a practical platform for building meaningful partnerships and we have already witnessed growing international interest in Tanzania through previous engagements.
Regional Perspective and Collaboration
Paul Sinclair:
East Africa as a region is gaining momentum. How important is regional collaboration in unlocking Tanzania’s full potential?
Eng. Charles Sangweni:
Regional collaboration is critically important because large-scale energy development often benefits significantly from regional integration and economies of scale.
By working closely with our neighbouring countries, we can optimise infrastructure investments, expand regional markets, strengthen energy security and improve project viability. This is particularly relevant for LNG infrastructure, natural gas transportation systems and cross-border energy trade.
More importantly, regional cooperation strengthens Africa’s collective voice within the global energy industry. Through collaboration, East African countries can create a stronger and more competitive regional energy ecosystem capable of attracting investment and delivering shared economic benefits.
Tanzania remains fully committed to playing a constructive and leading role in advancing regional energy cooperation.
Challenges and Opportunities
Paul Sinclair:
Every opportunity comes with challenges. What do you see as the key issues ahead?
Eng. Charles Sangweni:
Like any major energy producing jurisdiction, Tanzania faces challenges relating to financing, infrastructure development, global market conditions and evolving energy transition dynamics. However, these challenges are manageable through strong partnerships, sound policy frameworks and long-term strategic planning.
What gives us confidence is that Tanzania possesses a clear national vision, strong institutional commitment and a substantial natural resource base. The opportunities ahead remain significant, and with the right collaboration and investment approach, Tanzania is well positioned to unlock the full value of its petroleum resources responsibly and sustainably.
Closing Remarks
Paul Sinclair:
Charles, it’s clear that Tanzania is entering a defining phase. From our perspective, this is one of the most compelling upstream stories on the continent today.
At AOW:Energy, we are proud to provide a platform where Tanzania can engage with the global energy community. This is a call to action, for investors, operators, and service providers to step forward and be part of this journey.
Eng. Charles Sangweni:
Thank you very much, Paul. Tanzania remains open and ready to engage with credible and committed partners who share our long-term vision and ambition.
We firmly believe that through strong collaboration, responsible resource management, and strategic investment, Tanzania can unlock the full potential of its natural resources while creating sustainable and lasting value for our nation, our region, and future generations.
