Oil
discovered in North-Western Province
By TIMOTHY
SICHELA
PRESIDENT Mwanawasa yesterday announced the discovery of
oil and gas in Chavuma and Zambezi districts in North-Western
Province.
He revealed the break through in Kabompo during a Press
briefing in the district, saying the samples collected from the two
districts were positive.
What remained to be done was for the
exploration companies to determine the sizes of the identified oil
and gas reserves in the two districts and expand the scope of the
study to other districts in Zambia.
To do this, the survey information so far collected and
analysed, can be accessed at the geological survey department at a
nominal fee, he said.
The President has named a petroleum
committee as stipulated in the Petroleum Act to facilitate oil and
gas exploration by private companies.
The committee, led by Mines Minister, Kalombo Mwansa, will be
responsible for formulating policies and guidelines for issuance of
licences relating to petroleum and its extraction in
Zambia.
Members are Energy Minister, Felix Mutati, who will be
the vice-chairman of the committee, Justice Minister, George Kunda,
Finance Minister, Ngandu Magande and special assistant to the
President for Legal Darlington Mwape.
Mr Mwanawasa who was in Kabompo for a campaign tour, said he
would wait for the results of Kabompo East elections on Thursday
where the MMD was fielding Ronald Mukuma before naming the final
member of the committee.
It is hoped that the country will see
more exploration and extraction activities for oil and gas in
different parts that would strengthen the countrys economy, he
said.
He sent a team of experts from the geological survey department,
the ministry of Mines and the ministry of Science and Technology
following reports of prolonged fires in 2004.
Three surveys were
conducted with samples of the third survey collected and sent to
Germany for analysis.
The micro analysis showed that 12 sites were positive for oil
and six for gas.
And on labour brokering and casualisation at
Kansanshi Mine, President Mwanawasa warned that investors not
following the law would be prosecuted.
He was disappointed that
after talks with Kansanshi Mine over the issue, the mine only turned
brokering firms into contractors.
And on reported casualisation at Zesco where some workers worked
for years without being confirmed, the President condemned the
practice and demanded a report from management.
[Times of Zambia]
