News. article...Rig and progress Update12 Mar 2026 09:56
Separately, Makame said TPDC is drilling three new wells in the Mnazi Bay gas field in Mtwara, where production has been declining after nearly two decades of operation. One of the wells is an exploration well targeting new reservoirs, while two are development wells aimed at sustaining output from known deposits.
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The US$235 million drilling programme is 27 per cent complete, with the first well expected to be finished within days of the press conference. Makame said the three wells are projected to add 45 million cubic feet of gas per day — enough to generate more than 200 megawatts of electricity.
The same drilling rig will subsequently move to the Ntorya area in the Ruvuma Block — also in Mtwara — where TPDC plans to drill one new exploration well, conduct a workover on a previously drilled well, and carry out tests on a third.
The Ntorya programme is budgeted at US$23.5 million and is expected to unlock an additional 60 million cubic feet per day of gas.
To connect Ntorya’s output to the national grid, TPDC is constructing a 34.2-kilometre pipeline to the Madimba gas processing plant, at Sh122 billion. The pipeline is 35 per cent complete and is scheduled for completion in September 2026, in line with the expected start of gas production from the first Ntorya well.