"Diversification is essential in improving energy security in Africa... and natural gas has become an essential part in the continent's energy consumption," said Hussein ElHag, executive director of the Africa Energy Commission, based in Algeria.

"Gas can be used in many functions, from heating in household cooking to the generation of electricity," ElHag said, speaking at a four-day conference in the Mozambican capital.

Firewood remained the continent's major source of energy, UN Conference on Trade and Development financial risk and commodities chief, Lamon Rutten, said Monday, adding that some 85 percent of the continent's population did not have access to electricity.

Natural gas is seen as a "greener" alternative to oil and its usage is being mooted to combat the effects of global warming.

"Natural gas presents an alternative to deforestation, it will also help prevent desertification in countries like Sudan," said ElHag.

"Sudan for instance, is only concentrating on oil but there is gas onshore and offshore, they need to think of natural gas to combat desertification," he said.

Algeria was the continent's largest producer of gas, with some 61 percent of Africa's total production of 141 billion cubic metres, followed by Egypt, Nigeria and Libya.

But new gas fields are constantly being explored, including the Pande and Temane gas fields in Mozambique which is connected by pipeline to South Africa, as well as the Kudu gas field off the Namibian coast, the conference heard.

Countries like Sudan, Tanzania and Mauritania also hold some signifcant gas reserves.

The Algiers-based Africa Energy Commission, has proposed an African Gas Market Agreement, calling for a giant continental market in which the commodity could be traded within states on the continent.

"We need to improve energy security in Africa through a continental integrated gas industry," ElHag said.

But gas still played a second-fiddle to oil, he said.

"The biggest problem is that there is widespread thinking that gas is the baby of oil. We need to 'delink' the two commodities if we want to move forward."

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