The Ministry of Energy and the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) met on October 13, 2026 at PURA's offices in Dar es Salaam to discuss how to strengthen public awareness of oil and natural gas activities in Tanzania. The Head of the Government Communications Unit at the Ministry of Energy, Ms Nteghenjwa Hosseah, and the Head of Local Content and Stakeholder Engagement at PURA, Mr Charles Nyangi, attended the discussions.
Ms Hosseah said the Ministry of Energy is implementing several upstream petroleum projects, including the acquisition of 3D seismic data in the Lindi-Mtwara Block, the acquisition of 2D seismic data in the Eyasi-Wembere Block, and preparations for drilling natural gas wells in the Ruvuma Block. However, she noted that public awareness of these projects remained inadequate, with many citizens having limited understanding of the ongoing activities.
Ms Hosseah emphasised that although the projects involve complex technical issues, the Ministry of Energy and its institutions have a responsibility to communicate their implementation to the public in simple and accessible language.
Mr Nyangi said PURA would continue strengthening public communication about ongoing projects while building journalists' capacity to report on upstream petroleum activities. He added that PURA uses various media platforms to disseminate information and facilitates training for journalists, including site visits to upstream petroleum projects across the country, to enhance understanding among these key stakeholders.