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Monday, August 13, 2018
The security situation in the gas fields of Ethiopia are becoming more and more alarming which has led to companies active there to remove their employees. This comes after the political and security turmoil that occurred in the Ethio-Somali Regional State in late-July.
Following the security crisis in the region, conflict erupted in the regional capital, Jigjiga, on July 28. Civilians have been killed and houses, a bank, shops and churches have been looted and torched in Jigjiga and other small towns.
Poly GCL Petroleum Investments, which just began producing in the region, evacuated its key personnel by air. Sources told The Reporter that the company transported its key personnel mostly Chinese by chartered plane since July 29. Ethiopian Airlines has suspended flights to the region. The Chinese petroleum experts and engineers were stationed in Hilala, Calub and Warder oil and gas projects. Sources said the oil workers will be redeployed to the project sites once the security situation improves.
While The Reporter cited sources as saying personnel of the Chinese firm were evacuated, Poly GCL denies those claims and says the evacuation operation was only a “crew change.”
Koang Tutlam (MD), state minister of the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas, also denied the report. “This is not accurate information. Why would they evacuate their employees? Things are moving as usual,” he told The Reporter. According to Koang, it could be for a vacation that the Chinese came to Addis Ababa.
It was also reported that seismic firm, BGP Geoservices, also evacuated its staff to Addis Ababa. BGP has transported its team of Chinese petroleum experts by a chartered plane.
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