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PP RUEHBZ RUEHCN RUEHDU RUEHGH RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHTRO
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DE RUEHBJ #1435 1520056
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 010056Z JUN 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4204
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 001435 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID ENRG EPET SOCI KDEM CH SU
SUBJECT: PRC/SUDAN:  CHINESE OIL COMPANY VP DISCUSSES SUDAN 
WITH SE GRATION 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson.  Reasons 1. 
4 (b/d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  In a rare and free-flowing discussion with 
visiting Special Envoy for Sudan General Scott Gration, the 
state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) 
reported a "wait-and-see" attitude about Sudan's future but 
hoped to continue oil production regardless of the 2011 
referendum results, according to CNPC Vice President Wang 
Dongjin. Wang said that CNPC's significant involvement in 
Sudan's oil sector dated back to 1995 and that exploration in 
Southern Sudan was on-going.  The company had donated more 
than $50 million to Sudan's social and economic development 
in the form of infrastructure and training.  SE Gration 
stressed our common interest in peace and security in Sudan 
and suggested possible U.S.-China collaboration on 
infrastructure projects.  End Summary. 
 
CNPC's "Wait-and-See" Attitude about Sudan's Future 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶2. (C) Given the "serious security situation" in Sudan, CNPC 
had asked the Sudanese Government to guarantee the security 
of CNPC oil workers.  Queried about the 2010 elections and 
2011 referendum, Wang said the company was following events 
closely and had adopted a "wait-and-see" attitude.  He 
declined to speculate on post-referendum scenarios, 
commenting that CNPC hoped to continue oil production in 
North-South border regions regardless of the results of the 
referendum or the internationally-arbitrated determination of 
Abyei's borders.  Noting the need for a new pipeline and 
refinery in Southern Sudan, Wang expressed hope that a new 
pipeline would be completed within two years and a new 
refinery within three years. 
 
CNPC's Involvement in Sudan's Oil Sector 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to Wang, CNPC had been present in Sudan 
since 1995 and was now operating in Blocks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7. 
 In addition, the company was carrying out exploration in 
Blocks 13 and 15 and had a 50 percent holding in the Khartoum 
Refinery.  In 2008, CNPC produced an average of 500,000 
barrels a day of crude oil in Sudan.  Asked about prospects 
for finding more oil in Southern Sudan, Wang commented only 
that exploration in the southern oil blocks was on-going. 
 
CNPC's Contributions to Sudan's Development 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Wang said CNPC had donated more than $50 million to 
Sudan's social and economic development in the form of 
infrastructure and training.  In addition to the construction 
of roads and bridges, the company had set up 10 hospitals, 
built 25 schools, donated educational materials to more than 
200 schools, drilled 200 water wells, trained more than 1000 
Sudanese professionals and provided scholarships for 30-50 
students annually to attend China Petroleum University. 
 
SE Generation Urges U.S.-China Collaboration 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) General Gration said that the United States and China 
shared a common interest in peace and security in Sudan.  He 
said China's oil investments and workers in Sudan could be at 
risk if the North-South border issue was not resolved, 
stressing the need to continue pumping oil to generate 
much-needed revenue for Sudan in general and the Government 
of Southern Sudan (GOSS) in particular.  Gration suggested 
that the United States and China should coordinate on 
infrastructure projects in Sudan, listing as possible 
projects the dredging of the Nile, construction of a railway 
to Juba and improvement of air fields in the South.  He 
expressed interest in visiting CNPC's oil production field 
in/around Abyei and seeing the oil pipelines operated by 
CNPC.  Wang responded that Gration would be welcome to visit 
the CNPC office in Khartoum and that a tour of oil facilities 
and pipelines could be arranged so long as the Sudanese 
Government agreed. 
PICCUTA