France’s Total denies return to Sudan despite minister comments

Special to Sudan Tribune

LONDON, Jan 21, 2004 (Platts) — France’s Total Wednesday denied it will return to Sudan to resume operations on its inactive Block 5 in the southern Sudanese Bor Basin despite a Sudanese minister claiming a resumption in activity.

“We will not return to Sudan until there is a comprehensive peace deal signed that it effective. Presently, we have no operations there [in Sudan] or personnel on the ground.

We have to see a 100% long lasting peace to resume operations,” said a Total spokesman.

He denied that Total had signaled to the French government it would resume operations as France prepared to send a ministerial delegation to Khartoum.

Last week, French Foreign Trade Minister Francois Loos met with Industry Minister Jalal Yousuf al-Digair in Khartoum. It was the first time a French minister has visited Khartoum in several years.

According to local press reports, al-Digair told a press conference Total would resume oil exploration activities this year at its concession in Bor Basin.

One Sudanese expert who declined to be named said the Sudanese ministerial statement was more a political one rather than reflecting what was actually happening on the ground. “It’s wishful thinking…there’s still fighting going on there…how can E&P activities resume.”

Total acquired Block B in or about 1980 and it encompasses the area where the El Muglad and Melut Basins join. The block stretches with zigzag borders south from Malakal to Bor and east to the Ethiopian border and covers around 120,000 sq km.

Total carried out seismic surveys in the early 1980s and found that Block 5 (then Block B) had the potential for oil production. The company suspended operations in Sudan for security reasons in 1985.