Energy in Chad
Encyclopedia
Energy in Chad is an industry
with plenty of potential.
lacks coal
, natural gas
, and hydroelectric sources, the country does have crude oil reserves that as of January 1, 2004, have been placed at 900 Moilbbl, with production in 2003 at 36000 oilbbl/d. Continental Oil (now ConocoPhillips
), in association with Royal Dutch Shell
, struck oil in the Kanem
area, north of Lake Chad
, in 1978, and wells briefly produced 1500 oilbbl/d (about 80% of national consumption) before fighting disrupted the operation in 1980. An ExxonMobil
-led consortium drilled eight wells in the south during 1985–86. In 1988, interest in the region renewed, and in November 1996 Exxon and the government of Chad
signed an agreement outlining the development of oil reserves in the Doba
basin. In July 2003 the first oil began to be pumped following the completion of the Chad-Cameroon pipeline
, which was built with the aid of a US$93 million loan from the World Bank
. A second project to develop oil fields in the Sedigi Basin (with reserves put at 150 Moilbbl) has been delayed. The problem arose after it was found that the pipeline to carry oil from the Sedigi Basin to a refinery and power plant in the capital of N'Djamena
was of such poor quality that it could not be used.
for fuel. Production of electricity
rose from about 31 GWh in 1968 to 92 GWh in 2000, and 101 GWh in 2002, all generated by fossil fuel
s. In 2002, consumption of electricity in Chad totalled 94 GWh. Installed capacity in 2002 was 29 MW.
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
with plenty of potential.
Oil
Although ChadChad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
lacks coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
, and hydroelectric sources, the country does have crude oil reserves that as of January 1, 2004, have been placed at 900 Moilbbl, with production in 2003 at 36000 oilbbl/d. Continental Oil (now ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational energy corporation with its headquarters located in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas in the United States...
), in association with Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, struck oil in the Kanem
Kanem
Kanem may refer to:* Kanem Empire* Kanem Prefecture* Kanem Region* Kanem Department...
area, north of Lake Chad
Lake Chad
Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ...
, in 1978, and wells briefly produced 1500 oilbbl/d (about 80% of national consumption) before fighting disrupted the operation in 1980. An ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
-led consortium drilled eight wells in the south during 1985–86. In 1988, interest in the region renewed, and in November 1996 Exxon and the government of Chad
Government of Chad
The Government of Chad has been ruled and controlled by Idriss Déby and his Patriotic Salvation Movement since December 2, 1990, and officially since February 28, 1991. An amendment to the Constitution of Chad, passed in 2005, allowed Déby to run for his next term which will be his third...
signed an agreement outlining the development of oil reserves in the Doba
Doba
Doba is a city in Chad, the capital of the region of Logone Oriental.Exploitation of oil resources in the vicinity of Doba is expected to produce economic benefits.The town is served by Doba Airport.-Demographics:...
basin. In July 2003 the first oil began to be pumped following the completion of the Chad-Cameroon pipeline
Chad-Cameroon Petroleum Development and Pipeline Project
The Chad–Cameroon Petroleum Development and Pipeline Project is a controversial project to develop the production capacity of oilfields near Doba in southern Chad, and to create a 1,070 km pipeline to transport the oil to facilities on the coast of Cameroon. The project was launched on...
, which was built with the aid of a US$93 million loan from the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
. A second project to develop oil fields in the Sedigi Basin (with reserves put at 150 Moilbbl) has been delayed. The problem arose after it was found that the pipeline to carry oil from the Sedigi Basin to a refinery and power plant in the capital of N'Djamena
N'Djamena
N'Djamena is the capital and largest city of Chad. A port on the Chari River, near the confluence with the Logone River, it directly faces the Cameroonian town of Kousséri, to which the city is connected by a bridge. It is also a special statute region, divided in 10 arrondissements. It is a...
was of such poor quality that it could not be used.
Power
All of Chad's power plants are thermal. The two at N'Djamena provide most of the national output. As of 2002, only around 2 percent of the households in Chad had access to electricity and the majority of the country's population must rely upon woodWood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
for fuel. Production of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
rose from about 31 GWh in 1968 to 92 GWh in 2000, and 101 GWh in 2002, all generated by fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
s. In 2002, consumption of electricity in Chad totalled 94 GWh. Installed capacity in 2002 was 29 MW.