The UK’s White Nile has said that it expects to start drilling operations in block Ba in southern Sudan early in 2006. A seismic program on the block has been undertaken by Canada’s Terra Seis Geophysical (MEES, 27 June 2005). White Nile has moved its headquarters from Johannesburg to Nairobi and Terra Seis has established a camp in southern Sudan at Padak, 2km from the airstrip in the western section of Block Ba. Information is being gathered to help identify drilling targets; survey and drill equipment, explosives, ARGOs, airboats, generators, accommodation and trucks are all in place. A forward camp has been established at Panyong north of Padak for drilling activities. The legitimacy of White Nile’s concession is still challenged by France’s Total, which has a license awarded by the government in Khartoum for the whole of Block B.
In July 2005, White Nile also signed an agreement with Ethiopia to explore the Southern Rift Basins, an area of around 70,000 sq km adjacent to Petronas’ Gambela block in the north of the country, and bordering southern Sudan and Kenya to the south. Over the coming two years White Nile will evaluate its oil potential. White Nile has so far raised £16mn ($27.6mn) to fund its exploration activities, but made a loss of £394,039 ($681,000) in its first financial year.
In other Sudan news:
Sudan’s Minister of Energy and Mining 'Awad al-Jaz has received an Egyptian delegation to discuss investment opportunities in Sudan’s petroleum industry, the state news agency, SUNA, reported on 2 January. Dr Jaz on the same day discussed with the Governor of Warab state (adjacent to the oil rich Unity state) means of expanding oil exploration there.
On 22 December, Sudan’s President 'Umar al-Bashir inaugurated the second stage of the 50mw power line project in al-Damir (capital of the Nahr al-Nil state, north of Khartoum), Atbara and Barbar.
