Sudan signs six-year oil exploration deal with China
January 29, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government announced on Thursday that it signed a six-year agreement with the Chinese National Petroleum Company (CNPC) to increase oil production in fields north of Heglig and parts of the disputed border area of Abyei.
According to Sudan’s minister of oil Makkawi Mohammed Awad, the two sides agreed in Beijing to increase oil production in West Kordofan oil fields, especially in blocks 2 and 4 until 2021. The two blocks lie north of Heglig, but block 4 includes parts of Abyei.
The oil minister said the agreement opens the door for another one to increase production in block 6 located in Baleela in West Kordofan.
He further added that this agreement settles CNPC debts owed by the government of Sudan.
In the same context, the businessmen forum between Sudan and China kicked off on Thursday in Beijing with focus on investment opportunities in Sudan for Chinese businessmen in the fields of agriculture, industry and trade.
This week, the visiting Sudanese delegation led by presidential assistant Ibrahim Ghandour concluded the third high-level strategic dialogue between the two countries.
They agreed on continuing political and economic cooperation and regional cooperation in global issues that serve international peace and security, especially in Sudan and East Africa.
The Sudanese official described this round of dialogue as the most successful between Sudan and China, pointing out that Beijing has confirmed its continued economic support to Sudan and committed to support the national dialogue and general elections and monitoring it.
Ghandour told the businessmen forum, that Sudan is ready to facilitate inflow of Chinese capital in order to serve the economic partnership between the two countries.
For his part, Sudan’s ambassador to China Omar Issa explained that the talks focused on some practical aspects which contribute to solving funding issues, particularly as relating to increasing oil production and investments in agriculture and mining.
He said that Sudanese ministers, presented specific projects to their Chinese counterparts, stressing that understandings were reached on all the projects.
(ST)