Canadian oil company calls for removal of sanctions from ‘stable Sudan’
The Canadian oil company, Statesman Resources, has called for the removal of the sanctions against Sudan as “the country has become a stable regional player in light of the recent political unrest and instability in Libya and Egypt”. The Canadian company blames “only international politics” for “preventing the development of the country”.In an interview with the Geopolitical Monitor, the CEO Glenn Whiddon does not mention the ongoing civil war in Darfur with almost daily bombings that have killed at least 300,000 people according to UN estimates. Neither does he mention that the Head of State, Omar Al Bashir, has been indicted for war crimes including genocide and the quelling of large demonstrations in Khartoum killing over 200 protesters. Another Canadian company, Talisman, was prevented from further investment in Sudan due to pressure from Canadian civil society.Whiddon believes that “ten years from now Sudan will be trading freely with the world and enjoying unprecedented economic growth and human capital development”. Statesman Resources Limited is an onshore oil and gas exploration company focused on the African continent. It successfully bid for Sudan’s Block 14, a 100,000 square kilometre oil exploration area in the north-west of the country, bordering both Egypt and Libya. It is a minority partner (37 per cent) with Sudapet (a Sudan state company).The compoany claims it has identified “a prospective resource of 1.5 billion barrels”.Whiddon expects a bright futur for Sudan, with a large area of the Red Sea only lightly explored at present and which could be the site of “huge reserves of gas for liquified natural gas projects”. However, the CEO asserts that “the current sanctions against Sudan have severely limited the number of participants and amount of direct foreign investment in Sudan. Removing the sanctions would make a material difference to the growth of the domestic economy and bring stability to the economy and prosperity to the country and the people.“An open-arms policy would bring Sudan closer to the West, politically and economically, and enable the West to influence Sudan over human rights and other humanitarian issues.”After the secession of South Sudan taking away 60 per cent of the national oil reserves, Whiddon knows that “the central government of Sudan is very keen to find oil in the north of the country”. He found ‘doing business in Sudan to be extremely professional and industry competitive. The knowledge and experience of the various officials in the government and Sudapet is extensive”.Map: Block 14 positioned in Sudan (Geopolitical monitor)
The Canadian oil company, Statesman Resources, has called for the removal of the sanctions against Sudan as “the country has become a stable regional player in light of the recent political unrest and instability in Libya and Egypt”. The Canadian company blames “only international politics” for “preventing the development of the country”.
In an interview with the Geopolitical Monitor, the CEO Glenn Whiddon does not mention the ongoing civil war in Darfur with almost daily bombings that have killed at least 300,000 people according to UN estimates. Neither does he mention that the Head of State, Omar Al Bashir, has been indicted for war crimes including genocide and the quelling of large demonstrations in Khartoum killing over 200 protesters. Another Canadian company, Talisman, was prevented from further investment in Sudan due to pressure from Canadian civil society.
Whiddon believes that “ten years from now Sudan will be trading freely with the world and enjoying unprecedented economic growth and human capital development”. Statesman Resources Limited is an onshore oil and gas exploration company focused on the African continent. It successfully bid for Sudan’s Block 14, a 100,000 square kilometre oil exploration area in the north-west of the country, bordering both Egypt and Libya. It is a minority partner (37 per cent) with Sudapet (a Sudan state company).
The compoany claims it has identified “a prospective resource of 1.5 billion barrels”.
Whiddon expects a bright futur for Sudan, with a large area of the Red Sea only lightly explored at present and which could be the site of “huge reserves of gas for liquified natural gas projects”. However, the CEO asserts that “the current sanctions against Sudan have severely limited the number of participants and amount of direct foreign investment in Sudan. Removing the sanctions would make a material difference to the growth of the domestic economy and bring stability to the economy and prosperity to the country and the people.
“An open-arms policy would bring Sudan closer to the West, politically and economically, and enable the West to influence Sudan over human rights and other humanitarian issues.”
After the secession of South Sudan taking away 60 per cent of the national oil reserves, Whiddon knows that “the central government of Sudan is very keen to find oil in the north of the country”. He found ‘doing business in Sudan to be extremely professional and industry competitive. The knowledge and experience of the various officials in the government and Sudapet is extensive”.
Map: Block 14 positioned in Sudan (Geopolitical monitor)