Latest news with #ChinaNationalPetroleumCorporation
Business Insider
24-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Junta-led Niger plans to reduce Chinese oil workforce
Niger's junta-led government has requested the departure of several Chinese nationals working on oil projects, a move expected to impact dozens of employees and further strain relations with Beijing. Oil Minister Sahabi Oumarou instructed the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and its joint venture refinery, SORAZ, to terminate contracts of expatriate employees who have been in the country for over four years, Reuters reported. In a letter dated May 21 to SORAZ, Oumarou signalled some flexibility, noting that exceptions could be made depending on the importance of specific staff. Departure decisions, he said, would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. However, in an earlier letter to CNPC dated May 20, Oumarou declined a request for a private meeting with the company's CEO and accused CNPC of not complying with local laws. This follows a March decision by Niger's military government to expel three senior Chinese executives from the country's oil sector. The officials, who held key roles at CNPC, the West African Oil Pipeline Company (WAPCo), and the SORAZ refinery, were removed amid tensions over wage gaps between foreign staff and their lower-paid local counterparts. Since the expulsions, CNPC has been seeking to open dialogue with Nigerien authorities, but tensions remain high. West African militaries assert resource sovereignty Military-led governments across West Africa are increasingly asserting control over their natural resources in a bid to boost local employment and claim a greater share of resource profits. In Niger, the junta has taken several bold steps since seizing power, including scrapping military cooperation agreements with the U.S. and France and taking control of the Somair uranium mine previously operated by French nuclear company Orano. Similar developments have unfolded in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, where military regimes have turned to legal and regulatory tools to consolidate power over valuable commodities like gold.
South China Morning Post
15-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
As Chinese gas investments in Africa take off, oil imports sink
China's oil imports from Africa may have dropped sharply in recent years, but investments by Chinese companies in liquefied natural gas (LNG) are booming. Advertisement Nearly two decades ago, African oil accounted for close to a third of China's imports. Now that figure has dropped to about 10 per cent, with China sourcing more of its oil from the Middle East and Russia. But now in Africa , Chinese businesses are increasingly shifting into LNG investments – both to help China meet its swelling demand and to cut its reliance on Australian gas. Mozambique, in particular, has emerged as a hotspot for global natural gas production following the discovery of more than 5 trillion cubic metres (176 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas reserves in the Rovuma basin, off the country's northeast coast. China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) holds a 20 per cent share in the US$30 billion Rovuma LNG project, which is set to see an 18 million tonne-per-year offshore facility built. The main partner in the project, US multinational ExxonMobil, said although the scheme had faced finance delays and worsening insurgency, it was on track to reach its final investment decision next year. Advertisement
Voice of America
07-03-2025
- Business
- Voice of America
Greenland and Afghanistan: Frontiers in race for critical minerals
Just as discoveries of fossil fuel reserves helped to shape the 20th century, the race for critical minerals is shaping the 21st. These minerals are seen as strategically crucial for modern economies, including those used in construction, energy and manufacturing — particularly for semiconductors and other technology applications. Where mineral resources are located and extracted has often played a major role in geopolitical and economic relations. Today, the world's attention is turning to two places believed to be rich in untapped reserves — but accessing each of them comes with unique challenges. Afghanistan Sitting at the intersection of multiple tectonic plates, Afghanistan's geology has resulted in extensive and diverse mineral deposits. Historically, its territory was a primary source of copper and gold as well as gems and semiprecious stones, particularly lapis lazuli, a stone prized for its intense blue color. Today, Afghanistan is estimated to hold nearly $1 trillion worth of mineral reserves. This includes 60 million tons of copper, 183 million tons of aluminum and 2.2 billion tons of iron ore. Gold is mined on an artisanal scale in the northern and eastern provinces, while the mountainous north contains valuable marble and limestone deposits used in construction. The China National Petroleum Corporation also pumps oil in the north, though Afghanistan has no domestic refining capability and is reliant on neighbors such as Turkmenistan, Iran and Kyrgyzstan for fuel. Most of the international focus, however, is on Afghanistan's other metal deposits, many of which are crucial to emerging technologies. These include cobalt, lithium and niobium, used in batteries and other electronics. The country's unexplored lithium reserves may even exceed those of Bolivia, currently the world's largest. Afghanistan also holds major deposits of rare earth metals like lanthanum, cerium and neodymium, which are used for magnets and semiconductors as well as other specialized manufacturing applications. One obstacle to extracting Afghanistan's minerals is its terrain, considered the eighth most mountainous in the world. But security has been a much bigger impediment. Amid the political instability that followed the first fall of the Taliban in 2001, many gemstone and copper mines operated illegally under the command of local militants. With workers paid very little and the product smuggled out to be sold in neighboring Pakistan, the Afghan people saw little benefit from these extraction operations. Since retaking power in 2021, the Taliban, who have been eager to make use of the country's mineral wealth and increase exports, are hampered by a lack of diplomatic recognition and their designation as a terrorist group by multiple nations. This is, however, beginning to change, as some countries establish de facto diplomatic ties. In 2024, the Taliban government's resource ministry announced that it had secured investments from China, Qatar, Turkey, Iran and the United Kingdom. China, which was the first nation to accredit a Taliban-appointed ambassador, is expected to be a major player in Afghanistan's extractive industries as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. However, as newly discovered deposits require an average of 16 years to develop into operational mines, harnessing Afghanistan's mineral potential will take a great deal of investment and time — if the political and security issues can somehow be worked out. Greenland For millions of years, Greenland has been mostly covered by an ice sheet, habitable only along coastal areas. Despite some offshore petroleum and gas exploration, fishing and whaling have remained the primary nongovernment industries. Now, as ice recedes amid climate change, the large island's frozen interior offers new opportunities in untapped mineral resources. These include more common metals such as copper and gold, as well as titanium and graphite. But as elsewhere, there is even greater interest in Greenland's deposits of technology-critical minerals. The autonomous Danish territory is estimated to contain deposits of 43 of the 50 minerals designated by the United States as crucial to national security. Among these are the sought-after rare earth metals, in addition to other metals with technological applications such as vanadium and chromium. Currently, a majority of the world's rare earth metals are mined in China, making Greenland's deposits vital for countries seeking to reduce their dependence on Chinese imports. This strategic importance is one of the factors that led U.S. President Donald Trump to propose buying Greenland from Denmark. Greenland's government has issued nearly 100 mining licenses to companies like KoBold Metals and Rio Tinto. But these have mostly involved exploration, with only two mines currently operating in the country. Getting a mine to production can take as long as a decade, because it involves several unique challenges. One such hurdle is Greenland's strong environmentalist movement, which has successfully shut down mining projects for safety concerns. Rare earths pose a particular issue, because they must be extracted from other ores — a process that can cause waste and pollution. At the Kvanefjeld site in the south, metals were to be extracted from uranium ore until the fear of radioactive pollution led to a ban. The receding ice and warming climate have made extraction easier not only by revealing more territory but also by extending possible working hours and easing ship navigation. However, the environment remains harsh and inhospitable, and the island suffers from a lack of infrastructure, with few roads or energy facilities outside major settlements. Nevertheless, Greenland's government considers the mining industry to be an important means of developing the economy. Conclusion Shaped by both politics and geography, Greenland and Afghanistan have become two major frontiers in the global scramble for critical minerals. Which parties will have the opportunity to benefit from their resources will depend on the interplay of military power, economics and diplomacy.
South China Morning Post
22-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Drill, baby, drill: China goes ‘ultra-deep' for energy security
China is producing oil and gas from a 10,910-metre well – the second-deepest hole ever drilled on Earth – China National Petroleum Corporation has announced. The Shenditake 1 well, in the Tarim oilfield in western China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, is the first 'ultra-deep' well in Asia, Xinhua reported on Thursday. 'We took 270 days to drill down to around 10,000 metres, but then it took more than 300 days to open up the last 900 metres,' well manager Wang Chunsheng told the state news agency. Wang said challenges faced by the team when the drill reached 10,000 metres included instability of the well wall, damage to drilling tools, and underground leaks. Chinese oil giants have stepped up domestic oil and gas exploration efforts due to national energy security concerns. The world's second-largest economy imports most of its crude oil, mainly from Russia and Saudi Arabia. Last year, it imported 553 million tonnes, down 1.9 per cent year on year. Domestic production totalled 212.8 million tonnes, up 1.8 per cent.
Russia Today
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Sole survivor in plane crash in African state
At least 20 people, including Chinese and Indian nationals, have been killed in a plane crash in South Sudan's Unity State, authorities in the East African country reported on Wednesday. The region's information minister, Gatwech Bipal, said the passengers on the small aircraft were oil workers of the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC), a consortium that includes China National Petroleum Corporation and the Sudanese state-owned Nile Petroleum Corporation. He said it had departed for the African nation's capital, Juba, before it went down near the oil fields in Rubkona County shortly after takeoff. 'We are saddened to report this unfortunate incident involving a Light Air Service plane that tragically crashed just three minutes after takeoff from the Unity oil fields en route to Juba,' South Sudanese Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chuol also told reporters. He said 16 South Sudanese, two Chinese nationals, an Indian, and two Ugandan crew members were on the plane. The only survivor, a South Sudanese engineer, has been evacuated to Bentiu State Hospital, according to Chuol. READ MORE: Russian skating stars on board crashed American plane – media Air accidents occur frequently in Africa's newest country, which has remained conflict-torn since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011. Last August, a cargo plane reportedly caught fire in the South Sudanese state of Jonglei, injuring two crew members. At least five people were killed in 2021 when a cargo flight carrying fuel for the UN's World Food Program crashed near Juba. A year earlier, an aircraft belonging to the South West Aviation company crashed after taking off from Juba International Airport, killing three South Sudanese and five Russians. In September 2018, at least 20 people, including the Anglican Bishop of Yirol, Simon Adut Yuang, died after an L-410 Turbolet of the same airline crashed into Lake Yirol, reportedly due to bad weather. In 2015, around 36 people were killed in a Soviet-made Antonov plane when it crashed along the banks of the Nile River, according to the landlocked nation's authorities. The incidents prompted South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit to ban aircraft older than 20 years from operating passenger flights in April 2019. In a statement late on Wednesday, President Kiir said he had ordered the Ministry of Transport and relevant authorities to conduct a 'thorough and swift investigation' to determine the cause of the latest crash. He called the incident 'heartbreaking,' adding that engineers and technical staff were among the victims. 'This tragedy deeply affects not only the families of the deceased but also the communities, our nation, and the entire oil industry,' the leader stated.
