Star News Agency

New Delhi. Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Murli Deora discussed enhancing cooperation in Oil & Gas Sector between Indian and Sudan at a meeting today with his Sudanese counterpart, Shri Awad Ahmed Al Jazz at Khartoum.

The Minister’s visit to Sudan comes in the wake of growing cooperation between the two countries in the hydro-carbon sector. The discussions also focused on areas identified in an MoU signed by the Ministers of State for Oil and Gas of the two countries during India-Africa hydro-carbon conference held in Delhi recently.

Shri Deora, who arrived in Khartoum yesterday on the first leg of his four-nation tour, stressed that Indian companies are keen to participate in more explorations and productions accreages in Sudan. He also raised the issue of payments of the pipeline ONGC Videsh built in the African nation with the Sudanese Minister for Energy and Mining.

The two Ministers agreed to form a joint working group for resolving the issues within a month in respect of 741-km pipeline from Khatroum to Port au Sudan. OVL, which has interest in four blocks in Sudan that give it 2.4 million tons of crude oil annually, wants to consolidate its operations and acquire more accreage in the African country.

Sudan invited the Indian Oil Companies to view data for exploration accreage it will be offering in licensing round this year. Shri Deora agreed to extend Indian assistance to Sudan for developing Natural Gas industry, gas operations, biofuels technology, well stimulation and reservoir management and enhance oil recovery (EOR) schemes.

Sudan would send teams to India this year for training in these disciplines. Shri Deora also offered Indian expertise in refinery upgradation and management besides training its technicians. He also directed the Indian Officials to explore possibility of extending reservation for Sudanese students in the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology. Later, Shri Deora met the Sudanese Vice President and handed over a letter from Prime Minister ShriManmohan Singh for President of Sudan reiterating India's commitment to increasing cooperation with the African nation. Shri Deora will today fly to Nigeria. The other nation's on his itinerary are Angola and Uganda.