The development licence that unlocked the field
A discovery is one thing. Turning it into a producing field is another. For Aminex, that critical step came in April 2011, when the Tanzanian government granted the Kiliwani North Development Licence (KNDL).
The ink on that licence mattered. It meant the authorities agreed that KN-1 was no longer just an exploration curiosity — it was a field with a commercial future. It gave Aminex and its partners the right to plan, invest, and ultimately sell gas into Tanzania’s growing national grid.
By now, the partner list had firmed up:
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Aminex (Ndovu), still the operator with a controlling stake.
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RAK Gas, the Ras Al Khaimah state company.
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Bounty Oil & Gas from Australia.
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Solo Oil, the small-cap that had been steadily increasing its footprint.
This was no longer a solo act. Kiliwani North was a shared project, with multiple parties betting on the same future.
At the same time, reserve work was sharpening the numbers. By 2015, independent estimates put recoverable gas at around 28 BCF (gross, 2C) — not a giant by global standards, but enough to supply the local market for years. For Aminex, it was the bridgehead: a producing asset that could deliver dollar revenues and demonstrate capacity.
The challenge was timing. Tanzania’s infrastructure was still catching up — the new processing plant and pipeline system at Songo Songo had to be completed before first gas could flow. Aminex had the licence, but it still had to wait for the pipes.
For long-term investors, the KNDL marked a shift in tone. This was no longer a “maybe.” The Tanzanian state had formalised it: Kiliwani North was a producing field in waiting.
➡️ Next time: Chapter Four — Gas Sales Agreement. We’ll see how Aminex translated a licence into a binding contract with TPDC, fixing the price in dollars and setting the stage for first revenues.