Total will not restart exploration in Sudan until the signature of the peace agreement
LONDON, Mar 05, 2004 (Platts/ST) — France’s Total confirmed Friday it had met with the Sudanese minister of energy and mining earlier this week although denied it was resuming operations at its onshore Block B in the southern Bor Basin in Sudan.
“There has been no change in Sudan…we met with the minister earlier this week to talk about how we can eventually work in the country again,” said a Total spokesman. There is no plan to resume operations at its block until a peace deal is effective, he added.
The Sudanese minister of energy and mining, Awad Ahmad al-Jaz, on Mar 3 received a Total delegation, headed by the director of the company’s branch in Sudan, according to a report of Sudan’s official news agency, SUNA.
According to the report, the delegation “expressed its desire to resume work in Block (B)” given the improving security situation. The minister agreed to assist Total in resuming operations in the field, the report said.
The French Foreign minister Dominique de Villepin, paid a visit to Khartoum last month. The minister praised the Sudanese peace talks in Naivash. De villepin said France would consider participating in the international peace keeping force.
The current position of Total towards its concessions in Sudan seems embarrassing the French authorities. Since several years Sudanese government requests the resumption of Total activities.
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.
The company suspended operations in Sudan for security reasons in 1985.