SUDAN/FILE: Heglig oil field, briefly held by South Sudan, now back in the hands of Sudan, has been repaired and is ready to resume crude oil production

Record ID: 344184

  • Title: SUDAN/FILE: Heglig oil field, briefly held by South Sudan, now back in the hands of Sudan, has been repaired and is ready to resume crude oil production
  • Date: 3rd May 2012
  • Summary: CHINESE ENGINEER DIRECTING OIL WORKERS MINISTER OF PETROLEUM, DR. AWAD AHMED AL-JAZ LAUGHING WITH ONE OF HIS AIDES REPAIRED PIPELINE
  • Embargoed: 18th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Sudan
  • Country: Sudan
  • Topics: Business,Conflict,Politics,Energy
  • Reuters ID: LVA5V7IKAF5L2SYOCN40OXLJ4UPP
  • Story Text: Heglig oil field, seriously damaged during the war between both Sudan and South Sudan, has been recommissioned after repairs.
    Weeks of border clashes have raised concerns that South Sudan and its northern neighbour could return to all out war after failing to resolve wrangles over oil revenues, border demarcation and other issues, after the south seceded last year.
    On Wednesday (May 02) Sudan Oil Minister Dr. Awad Ahmed Al-Jaz toured Heglig and opened the valves for crude oil to flow. saying the facility had now been repaired and was open for business.
    "Those who came here and saw the damage said that the repairs couldn't be completed in six months. Those who were optimistic suggested it would take four months to repair the damage, but the repairs took only one week," said Sudan Oil Minister Dr. Awad Ahmed.
    Engineers were busy making what they said were the few remaining repairs but Dr. Awad said he expected the facility along with other oil fields administered by Khartoum's would produce more crude oil than before the conflict.
    "This oilfield was producing 55 thousands barrels per day. Now as we said we are paving the way and we plan to produce more than that, besides the production of other oil fields which will follow," added Dr. Awad.
    The conflict had halted nearly all oil production in the region, strangling both countries' oil dependent economies.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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