Sudan OIL & CONFLICT TIMELINE

من طرف **Admin** الأحد مايو 10, 2015 3:30 pm

1955

Beginning of first civil war between north and south.

1956

Independence - end of British-Egyptian condominium rule.

1958

General Abboud's military coup in November overthrows first civilian government.

1960s

Early oil exploration begun by Agip in the Red Sea

1964

October 1964: Abboud regime toppled by popular uprising

Port Sudan refinery comes on-stream, operated by Shell and BP (Sudan) Ltd., a company set up in 1962 between Royal Dutch/Shell and BP. Capacity of 20,000 b/d later expanded to 25,000 b/d in early 1970s. (Shell still owns Port Sudan refinery)

1969

Jaafar Nimeiri becomes president after "May Revolution"; briefly anti-Western.

1970

January 70: Nimeiri nationalises all banks, sequesters many large companies.

March 70: Nimeiri crushes potential Ansar/Umma insurrection - bombs White Nile Aba island base; Imam al-Hadi al-Mahdi killed fleeing towards Ethiopia.

November 70: Nimeiri sacks communists from his government

1971

July 71: Failed communist coup d'etat; Nimeiri kicks out Soviet advisors, opens door to China.

1972

Relations resume with US and West

July 72: Addis Ababa Agreement, with autonomy for the South, ends 17 years of civil war

1973

Large-scale Sudanese emigration to the increasingly wealthy Arab oil states.

March 73: US ambassador C.A Noel assassinated in Khartoum.

August 73: Attempted uprising by Muslim Brotherhood and Umma Party

1974

Chevron begins operations in Red Sea, and near Bentiu, Malakal and Muglad in S / SW. Concession is originally granted to Chevron, with Shell subsequently taking a 25% interest.

Over the next 20 years, Chevron and Shell spend an estimated US$1bn, shoot "extensive seismic", and drill "52 wells, including 34 suspended oil wells capable of re-completion for production."

1975

Sudan is called potential "breadbasket of the Arab world"; large-scale mechanised agriculture expands into southern Kordofan; huge influx of international capital. Loans to Sudan begin accumulating - leading to present day unpayable arrears.

September 75: Attempted anti-Nimeiri coup by "National Front" - an Umma/DUP/Muslim Brotherhood coalition.

1976

Chevron makes Suakin Red Sea gas discovery.

July 76: Failed coup attempt by Ansar (of Sadiq al-Mahdi's Umma party) and Muslim Brotherhood

1977

Sadiq al-Mahdi holds "reconciliation" with President Nimeiri (see photo) - but doesn't consult his followers.

1977: "OPEN DOOR" FREE-MARKET POLICIES ADOPTED

1978

1978: First Chevron oil discoveries near Bentiu and Heglig. "More than Saudi Arabia - 15m b/d," claims Lebanese newspaper

Joint Sudanese-Egyptian financing project is launched to construct the Jonglei Canal through Sudd marshes of the South, employing the French CCI company's redundant giant excavator.

Economic crisis - international primary commodity prices plummet and imported oil prices soar. IMF intervenes and negotiates "structural adjustment". First devaluation.

1979

February 79: US Secretary of Defense promises to sell jet fighters, tanks and other arms to Sudan. October - US Senate approves $1.7m in additional military assistance to Sudan (after several previous larger weapons deals).

1980

JONGLEI CANAL construction begins, despite local protests.

Nimeiri embarks on "redivision" of the south from one autonomous unit to three states; a map attached to the Regional Government bill puts the area where oil has been found into northern Sudan. His creation of new "Unity" state around Bentiu to prise it from the south causes political upheaval among southerners, as does presidential decree that oil refinery is to be built at Kosti, in the north, instead of Bentiu.

1981

Chevron discovers commercial oil deposits in the "Unity (South)" field north of Bentiu. With neighbouring Heglig field in S. Kordofan, recoverable reserves are estimated at 236m barrels.

August 81: White Nile Petroleum Corporation is formed by Chevron and Sudan government. There are no southerners on the board.

1982

January 82: Petrol shortages spark serious disturbances. For the first time, Nimeiri's army command voices disapproval of the situation in the country and the corruption of his cronies.

September 82: Kosti refinery project "frozen" in favour of pipeline plan.

1983

Nimeiri completes "redivision" of South; sacks vice-presidents Abel Alier and Joseph Lagu.

April 1983: Civil war re-ignites after mutinies by army commanders Arok Thon Arok, Kerubino Kuanyin, John Garang and others lead to formation of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).

September 1983: Nimeiri introduces "sharia" laws - used by his regime to terrorise and humiliate, with indefinite detention, public floggings, amputations - and death penalty for "heretics".

White Nile Petroleum Company (owned by government, Chevron, Shell and Apicorp) created to build 1,420-km export line from Unity and Heglig via Kosti to Red Sea terminal between Port Sudan and Suakin; projected cost US$1bn.

1984

Nimeiri uses southern ethnic Nuer "Anya Nya Two" militia against SPLA in the oilfields.

March 1984: SPLA attacks oil fields in the south; Chevron suspends operations. Three expatriate Chevron workers are kidnapped from Rub Kona base, near Bentiu, and killed.

July 84: Government signs deal with Trans-African Pipeline Co. of US to build 1,760-km pipeline across Sudan to Central African Republic. (It was never built.)

JONGLEI CANAL WORK IS HALTED BY SPLA

Adnan Khashoggi is offered all-in oil deal by Nimeiri, making implicit threat to Chevron to resume operations.