ChadianPresidentIdrissD茅byItno(secondrightfront),attendsthehandoverceremonyofthefirstphaseofRonieroilfieldprojectCOURTESYPHOTODeepintheinteriorofCentralAfricaliestheRepublicofChad,acountrydependentonagricultureformostofitsrevenue.Belowthesurface,ithasabundantreservesofpetroleum,butitwasnotuntilChineseoilandgasgiant-ChinaNationalPetroleumCorp.(CNPC)-beganproductiontherein2011,thatthecountryeventuallyrealizedenergyself-sufficiency.
WhenCNPCfirstsetfootinChad15yearsago,domesticoilconsumptioninthecountrywasheavilydependentonimports.InSeptember2007,abilateralagreementwasreachedtobuildajoint-stockrefineryplant,markingthestartingpointforChina-Chadpetroleumcooperation.
AstheNdjamenarefineryplantwentintoproductioninJune2011,PresidentIdrissD茅byItnosaidhiscountryhadwonthevictoryofenergyindependence,whichheattributedtoChad鈥檚significantpartnershipwithChina.
Now,theCNPCoperationcoverstheentirepetroleumindustrialchaininChad,rangingfromexplorationanddevelopment,pipelinetransportation,refiningandstorage,projectconstructionandtechnologyservices.
However,suchstarting-from-scratchstoriesarenotconfinedtoChad.CNPC鈥檚cooperationwithSudanbeganasearlyas1995,wheretheprojecthasnowbecomethelargestandmostsuccessfulCNPCoverseasventure.InNiger,acompletepetroleumindustrialsystemhastakenshapeunderapartnershipwithCNPC,allowingthecountrytonotonlyrealizeoilself-sufficiency,butalsoearnforeignexchangethroughoilexports.Now,thepetroleumindustryisthebackboneofthelocaleconomy.BesidesChadandNiger,theCNPCWestAfricanbranchhasalsoseenitsoperationspreadinAlgeria,MozambiqueandTunisia.
Solidprogress
WithsupportsfromtheChadianpartneranditsstakeholders,CNPChasdevelopedtwoexplorationandextractionprojects,twocrudeoilpipelineprojectsandtheNdjamenarefinerythatcanproducegasoline,diesel,aviationfuel,fueloil,liquefiednaturalgasandpolypropylene.
BytheendofthisJuly,thecompanyhaddevelopedsixoilfieldsinChadandtransported13.24milliontonsofcrudeoil.Theannualoilproductionhasregisteredasteadygrowthinrecentyearsandisexpectedtoreach4milliontonsthisyear.Companydatashowsthatinthenearfuture,petroleumexplorationanddevelopmentcapacityinChadwillreach6milliontons.
GoingfromriskexplorationtolargescaledevelopmentinChad,CNPCsaysitroutinelyfollowstheprincipleofseekingqualityandefficiencywhilemaintainingsustainabledevelopment.
鈥淐NPC鈥檚oilexplorationanddevelopmentactivitiesinAfricaareguidedbytheconceptofmutualbenefitandwin-wincooperation.Thecompanystrictlyfollowslocalpolicies,lawsandregulations,andupholdsamultinationalcorporatecultureofmutualrespect,opennessandcompatibility,鈥漵aidChenShudong,GeneralManagerofCNPCInternational,WestAfricaLtd.(Chad).
ChadhasnowseenasteadydomesticsupplyofoilproductsfromtheNdjamenarefinery,andexportspartoftheoutputtoneighboringcountries,whichhaslaidasolidfoundationforthenation鈥檚economyandintegratedstrength.
InNiger,CNPC鈥檚WestAfricabranchhadpaidover$1billionintaxestotheNigerGovernmentbytheendof2017.AsofthisMay,thecompanyhasproduced5.28milliontonsofcrudeoilinthecountry,accordingtoitsstatistics.
Corporateresponsibilities
InSudanandSouthSudan,CNPChasbeenfulfillingitssocialresponsibilitiesbyengaginginwell-plannedactivitiesprovidingpublicbenefits.Thecompanyhasinvested$120milliontosupportthedevelopmentofagriculture,education,culture,medicalcareandinfrastructure,benefitingmorethan2millionAfricanpeople.
Bypromotingtheintegrationofdiversecultureswithinthecompany,employeeswithdifferentculturalbackgroundscanunderstandandtrusteachotherandliveinharmonywithlocalcommunities,saidChen.
InthehinterlandofNigerintheSaharaDesert,watershortageisanobviousproblem.Toraisethelivingstandardsofresidentsinnearbycitiesandtowns,CNPChasdug29waterwellsandmorethan40watersourcesforlocalhouseholdsandanimalhusbandry.ThesamearidconditionisalsoachallengeinChad.BytheendofthisJuly,atotalof27waterwellshadbeendrilledbyCNPC,benefiting25,000residentsin21villages.
Apartfromwatershortages,gainingaccesstoeducationinsomeAfricancountriesisstilldifficultformanychildren.TheCNPCNigerbranchsaysithasbuilt38schoolsinareasneighboringitsupstreamprojectsandoilpipelinesinthepastfewyears.InChad,twoprimaryschoolshavebeenbuiltandstudymaterialsponsoredtothreelocalschools;ajointeducationprogramwithlocaluniversityneartherefineryplanthasbeenmaintainedforyears,whilelocalstudentsandtechnicianshavebeensenttoChinatoreceivefurthertrainingandeducation.
SinceCNPCenteredtheChadmarketin2003,thecompanyhassignedwithlocalenterprisesalargenumberofpurchasingandservicecontracts,substantiallyboostingChadianeconomicdevelopment.
FOCACconnection
WiththeNdjamenarefinerycomingintoproduction,theretailpriceofrefinedoilinChadwasreducedbyaboutonethird,andthecountryeventuallystartedtodevelopitsownpolypropyleneprocessingindustry.
ChensaidtheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC)isthemostextensive,highest-levelandmostinfluentialplatformforcommunicationbetweenChinaandAfricancountries.
鈥淚twillplayanincreasinglyimportantroleinpromotingmutuallybeneficialcooperationbetweenChinaandAfricainthefieldofenergy,especiallyoilinthecaseofCNPC,andinbuildingacommunityofsharedfuture,鈥漢esaid.
CNPCwillstrengthencooperationwithrelatedcountriesinAfricainitsoilandgasbusinessthroughdeepcooperationwithresourcecountriesandtakeanactiveroleinmaintainingthepartnershipbetweenChinaandAfrica,saidChen.
Adheringtothebusinessprinciplesofbeingsincere,handsonandhonest,theCNPCsaysitaimstocontinuepushingforwarditscooperationplanswithAfricancountries,assistAfricaindevelopingitselfthroughChina鈥檚development,andfacilitateregionalindustrializationandagriculturalmodernization,inanefforttoachievewin-winresultsandrealizeshareddevelopment.
CNPChelpslocalpeoplegainaccesstocleanwaterbydrillingwellsCOURTESYPHOTOCommentsto
TheCNPCoperationcoverstheentirepetroleumindustrialchaininChad,rangingfromexplorationanddevelopment,pipelinetransportation,refiningandstorage,projectconstructionandtechnologyservices.