New Tanzania Gas Discovery Advances East Africa’s Energy Goals

Tanzania has discovered an estimated 223 billion cubic feet of natural gas in the southern Mnazi Bay area, its first such find in over a decade. Identified at the Kasa-1X ST2 well by the state-owned Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and French firm Maurel & Prom, the resource could enter production as early as next month.

This addition bolsters Tanzania’s existing reserves of roughly 57.5 trillion cubic feet and underscores its push to attract energy investment. The government is already courting developers for small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects to broaden domestic industrial and power generation use.

Crucially, the discovery reinforces Tanzania’s trajectory as a regional energy hub. It complements a proposed US$42 billion LNG development led by Equinor and Shell, alongside ExxonMobil, designed to unlock over 47 trillion cubic feet of gas. Coupled with neighboring Uganda’s plan to export oil via Tanzania’s Tanga port by early 2027, the country is strategically positioning itself at the center of East Africa’s evolving energy landscape.