Malaysia agrees to increase investment in petroleum sector of Sudan

KHARTOUM, April 1 — Sudan and Malaysia have agreed to increase oil investments by the Malaysian national oil corporation, Petronas, in this country, says Sudanese State Minister at the Ministry of Oil Hatim Abual-Gasim.

He said this was decided during a meeting he had with Malaysian PrimeMinister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, in the presence of the Chairman of Petronas, which took place on the sidelines of the Offshore Technology Conference, held in Kuala Lumpur from March 25 to 28.

He disclosed that an agreement had been signed with Petronas on augmentation of its investments and expansion of its operations in Sudan by engaging in new blocks at the Red Sea as well as co-operation with Sudan in the fields of exploration and oil sciences.

The minister also announced the arrival of a Malaysian technical delegation to the country to implement what was agreed upon, adding that the Chairman of Petronas has given directives on development of an executive programme to increase oil production.

He said the Petronas chairman would visit to Sudan to sign the agreement on the engagement in the new exploration blocks in the Red Sea.

Abual-Gasim described his attendance at the conference as an opportunity to study the development of new methods in the field of marine exploration, particularly as there are a number of marine blocks where work had recently started in Sudan. — Bernama