Sudan Aims to Double Oil Output in 2-3 yrs-Minister
Jan 18, 2007 (NEW DELHI) — Sudan aims to double its crude oil output to 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in two to three years, the country’s junior minister of energy and minerals said on Thursday.
Angelina Jany Tany said she expected little change this year to Sudan’s current crude production rate of 500,000 bpd.
"In two to three years, we are looking at maximising it, hopefully doubling it," she told reporters on the sidelines of the Petrotech conference in the Indian capital.
Sudan’s two main oilfields, producing heavy-sweet Nile Blend and Dar Blend, are located in the south. Industry experts estimate the region has hundreds of millions of barrels of recoverable reserves.
Chinese, Malaysian and Indian companies are big investors but most Western oil companies pulled out of Sudan during the north-south war because of human rights abuses during the conflict.
The Thar Jath field, in Block 5A, which came onstream last June and was due to reach 60,000 bpd by the end of 2006, only produces 33,000 bpd, said a source with ONGC’s overseas investment arm, ONGC Videsh Ltd.
India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) holds a 24.125 percent interest in the field.
The delays in reaching full capacity stem from transmission issues, the source said, adding that these may prevent the field from reaching a 50,000-bpd plateau by the end of this year.
The minister also said that Sudan had not ruled out joining the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
"We want to be on firm ground, knowing exactly why we want to join OPEC", she said. This would take into account Sudan’s growing economy and domestic oil consumption.
"We have not ruled it out totally," she said when asked to comment on whether the country aimed to join OPEC.
Angola joined OPEC in January, becoming the cartel’s 12th member. Ecuador was also reported to be considering OPEC membership.
The minister said that Sudan and Malaysian national oil company Petronas [PETR.UL] had started construction of a 100,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) refinery in Port Sudan.
They aimed to complete the $1 billion refinery in two years, she said.
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