Zimbabwe seeks to commercialise oil, gas discoveri...

Zimbabwe seeks to commercialise oil, gas discoveries

**Mines and Mining Development Minister, Soda Zhemu**

Nyashadzashe Ndoro

Zimbabwe’s Mines Minister, Soda Zhemu, has emphasised the need to move from exploration to commercialisation of the country's recently discovered oil, helium, and hydrogen reserves.

Zhemu highlighted the importance of these resources in addressing the nation's energy needs, particularly for powering various government sectors. He cited the light oil discovery as a significant development, as it can be refined into fuels like diesel, petrol, and jet A1, potentially reducing reliance on imports and bolstering the economy.

The government appears to be aligned with the plans of Geo Associates, the company responsible for prospecting in Muzarabani, Mbire, and other areas. Geo Associates reportedly intends to prioritize commercialization to ensure the nation benefits from these resources as soon as possible.

“After informing the nation, we also announced the Geo Associate Company, which is responsible for prospecting such minerals in Muzarabani, Mbire and other areas. They informed us that they are going to commercialise the gas and oil production so that these benefit the nation instead of the continual exploration to discover the numbers that are there. What has been discovered should be mined so that it benefits the nation.

“Indeed, their programmes are in tandem with Government programmes. We cannot continue about industry, mining and other sectors which need electricity. The discovery of light oil and gas is going to benefit the nation so that we have electricity to support different Government sectors,” the Minister said.

The government expects the shift in focus from exploration to production to underscore Zimbabwe’s ambition to leverage its newfound resources for energy security and economic development.