The Reporter (Addis Ababa)
By Kaleyesus Bekele
The Chinese Oil Company, Zhoungyan Petroleum Exploration Bureau (ZPEB), has refused to resume work on oil exploration projects in the Ogaden basin.
Contracted by the Malaysian oil and gas company, Petronas and South-West Energy, a company licensed in Hong Kong, ZPEB has been conducting seismic survey in the Ogaden region of the Somali Regional State. After the Ogaden National Liberation Front's (ONLF) attack on the Abole exploration site in the Degehabur zone last April, ZPEB suspended operation. Seventy-four civilians, including nine Chinese workers, were killed in the attack.
The Ethiopian Woyanne Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) demanded the petroleum companies to start work on the exploration projects. However, ZPEB refused to return its oil workers to the Ogaden region. Senior officials of the MME told The Reporter that the parent company of ZPEB, Sino Tech, did not allow it to resume the operation. Petronas is now in the process to hire an Iranian Company called Oil Exploration Operation Company, (OEOC). Representatives of Petronas and OEOC last week visited the Ogaden region. The representatives conferred with officials of the MME on the oil exploration projects in the Ogaden.
"OEOC's response to Petrona's request was positive. However, they did not yet sign a contractual agreement," officials of MME told The Reporter. OEOC is engaged in oil exploration projects in Iran and Uzbekistan. Petronas is also engaged in a similar project in Uzbekistan.
Meanwhile, the Swedish petroleum company, Lundin, recently began to conduct gravity survey in its exploration area in the Ogaden basin. Lundin has four exploration blocks in the Ogaden. Two weeks ago the company launched its airborne survey in the exploration blocks found near Dire Dawa town.
Pexco, another Malaysian company, is also prepared to begin gravity survey next month. Pexco has two exploration blocks in the Ogaden. "All the companies which have exploration blocks want to commence work. But they need sometime to find a subcontractor," officials of MME said.
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ONLF certainly earned respect from Chinese and other woyane sponsored wolves over its territory – Here their is a lesson for OLF – it is time OLF revisits its strategy!
December 9th, 2007 at 12:19 PM
የኢትዮጵያ የነዳጅ ማዕድን ከሳዑዲው ይበልጥ እደሆነ እንጂ አያንስም። ብዙ ምቀኛ ቢኖረን አይደንቅም።
December 9th, 2007 at 2:42 PM
i did not appreciate ONLF's assualt on civilian workers there. however, woyanes are responsible for the overall deterioration of security in the region. their dictatorship in the ineterior, thier adventure in Mogadishu, their unwillingness to solve the issue peacefully, etc. led to this massacre and consequences. therefore, if woyane wants to bring peace and development, it has first to democratize. otherwise, it is all useless.
December 9th, 2007 at 2:49 PM
VIVA CHINA!!!
I know Chinese people believe in self determination, they are adovcates of peace and progress. The Ogadenia area deserves a solution first and then development. TPLF does not represent Ethiopia, their land is in Tigrai killil, they should remain there. The Ogadenia civilians have been suffering under the occupation of Tigrai People Liberation Front for the last 15 years, they deserve their freedom.
December 9th, 2007 at 3:58 PM
Sitting and negotiating with those who disagree with you are not only cheaper- in terms of lives lost and materials ruined- but has the benefit of lasting longer if not forever. To do that, it requires a tremendeous courage and will power, sound leadership skill and love to your country and people and above all to avoid taking shortcuts that has only temporary relief.
December 9th, 2007 at 4:45 PM
Any kind contracts for resources exploration, quarrying or smallholding in Ethiopia signed with the illegal, dictatorial ruler is illegal and doesn't have the blessing of the people consequently destined to grave peril.
Woyane is not a legitimate government nor have any morale value to represent the country and the people.
Any international Co. who go into contract agreement with these mercenaries should know in advance that they are also illegal by association and automatically became enemy public.
Those Co. should wait patiently until the people win through to establish an equitable, popular, democratic rule and Government, that will benefit the poor and destitute people instead of the big belly, selfish and reckless mercenaries in Addis Ababa, who rule by terror, intimidation and ethnic division,
The time is nearer than ever because the people’s enemy is biting like a mad dog and their hunch men are gunning down, the starved and terrorized Ethiopians.
December 9th, 2007 at 7:19 PM
Meles and his TPLF have been frantically busy with their business of systematically looting the property of the Ogadenis to enrich themselves for the last 17 years.The foreign Oil Companies should know the fact that Meles is not the rightful owner of the land.The people of Ogaden consider him a criminal intruder who has the blood of their innocent civilians in his hand.Therefore,stay away from Ogaden for the time being.
December 9th, 2007 at 11:40 PM
I dont think we have to celebrate over this, there are countries with ill governance but advancing in development, china is one example. Eventhough we hate the current government we cant just blindly oppose developments, or approve obstacles to developments just because we hate woyane. fellas…otherwise how are we going to get out this poverty? guys we have to certainly identify our enemies and tackle them properly, in my opinion poverty is as equal but not less than an enemy of our country as Woyane. I am not happy with the cituation created in Ogaden, though I strongly belive they are not going to find one drop of oil.
December 10th, 2007 at 10:58 AM
Getu you have there, very innocent assessment of the situation in Ethiopia, under wayane and his crooks. They are looting the whole country, they are spending millions of dollars daily for wars in different fronts, for paying their henchmen and mercenaries locally and internationally to safeguard, ascertain and prolong their tyrannical dominance and rule,
all these in the face of hunger, diseases and total misery in the country.
Getu don't make any mistakes our enemy is Wayane, don't allow them to get more means, so they can kill us more and extend our suffering. Also remember they are already enriched themselves like the Cheiky in the oil rich golf states. The people, the true owner of the country will only get maybe the some crumb.
Our goal must be to achieve unity through democracy, the only proven way to get us out of the misery we are in, equally in any corner of the nation without no regard to ethnic or religion or gender
December 10th, 2007 at 7:56 PM