ONE Mozambique is Africa’s third-largest holder of proven natural gas reserves after Nigeria and Algeria, in that order. Just off the country’s 2,470km Indian Ocean coastline, at least 100-trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves lie in wait in the area known as the Rovuma Basin. Some estimates start at 75-trillion cubic feet of gas, while others rise to as much as 180-trillion cubic feet. Those reserves are enough to supply Germany, the UK, France and Italy for nearly two decades, but production is likely to start only five years or more after the final investment decision.  TWO Mozambique has three main onshore gas fields – Pande (with estimated reserves of more than 2.1-trillion cubic feet), Temane (1-trillion cubic feet) and Buzi-Divinhe (10-billion cubic feet). Production, however, is limited to a small amount piped to nearby villages from the Pande field. THREE Mozambique is the world’s 13th-poorest nation. Making the most of its natural energy resources could inject much-n...

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