Zimbabwe: Australian gas and oil company to begin gas drilling project

Australian firm Invictus Energy announced it was going to start drilling its first well in Zimbabwe in a few days to look for gas and oil. The company thinks 20 trillion cubic feet of gas are located in this well in the Muzarabani-Mbire area, in the north, near the border with Mozambique.

"The benefits I think will be great. We are having a power deficit in this country so if we are able to do a short-term gas-to-power project, there will be an immediate benefit in terms of power generation, it will be the start of a very big industry. We will drill a lot more wells, there will be opportunities for Zimbabweans", commented Barry Meikle, Invictus Country Manager.

The firm plans to build a gas-to-power facility to supply the national grid an attractive possibility as Zimbabwe is plagued by power shortages.

But environmentalists fear the construction of pipelines could lead to forced displacement, harm the vegetation and animal habitats.