Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09NDJAMENA563
2009-11-25 12:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ndjamena
Cable title:  

BLACK GOLD RISING? CHAD'S PROSPECTIVE OIL

Tags:  PGOV EPET EFIN PREF PREL IMF MASS MARR IBRD 
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RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNJ #0563/01 3291242
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 251242Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7469
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000563 

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

STATE FOR AF/C
STATE FOR S/USSES
STATE FOR EEB
OSD FOR DASD HUDDLESTON
TREASURY FOR BOYE
NSC FOR GAVIN
LONDON FOR POL - LORD
PARIS FOR POL - BAIN AND KANEDA
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR AU

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV EPET EFIN PREF PREL IMF MASS MARR IBRD
CD
SUBJECT: BLACK GOLD RISING? CHAD'S PROSPECTIVE OIL
REVENUES, 2009 AND 2010

REF: A. NDJAMENA 540

B. NDJAMENA 531

C. NDJAMENA 471

-------
SUMMARY
-------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000563

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

STATE FOR AF/C
STATE FOR S/USSES
STATE FOR EEB
OSD FOR DASD HUDDLESTON
TREASURY FOR BOYE
NSC FOR GAVIN
LONDON FOR POL - LORD
PARIS FOR POL - BAIN AND KANEDA
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR AU

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV EPET EFIN PREF PREL IMF MASS MARR IBRD
CD
SUBJECT: BLACK GOLD RISING? CHAD'S PROSPECTIVE OIL
REVENUES, 2009 AND 2010

REF: A. NDJAMENA 540

B. NDJAMENA 531

C. NDJAMENA 471

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (SBU) ESSO/Chad has returned to a normal pattern of
payment to the GOC, after the 2008-2009 decline in world oil
prices and the restructuring of the ESSO-GOC payment
agreement resulted in lower-than-normal GOC oil revenues in
the first half of 2009, ESSO/Chad chief De Mahieu told
Ambassador Nov 18. De Mahieu estimated that Chad Government
oil revenues would go from 350-400 million USD in 2009 to
600-800 million USD in 2010, if oil prices stayed at current
levels and ESSO/Chad's output stayed constant.


2. (SBU) De Mahieu is not a purveyor of rosy scenarios. If
his estimates of current and future Chad oil revenues are
accurate, this makes very for good news for the GOC in 2010
and beyond. Chad's best revenue year, to put all this in
perspective, was 2008, when it took in 1.2 billion/billion
USD. The GOC's total revenues for the next few years might
have an impact on the viability of USG assistance to Chad to
purchase military transport aircraft, provided that the GOC
work closely with the IMF and World Bank to ensure that major
military expenditures are made within the budgetary
frameworks agreed between Chad and the IFIs (Ref A). END
SUMMARY.

--------------
ESSO/CHAD CHIEF
ON OIL REVENUES
--------------


3. (SBU) ESSO/Chad chief Stephane de Mahieu briefed
Ambassador and P/E Chief November 18 on the consortium's
payments to the GOC in 2009 and 2010. The 2008-2009 decline
in world oil prices and the restructuring of ESSO's payment
agreement with the GOC led to an overpayment on the part of
the consortium at the beginning of 2009. De Mahieu said that
2009-generated royalties and taxes owed to the GOC were
applied against the overpayment, which cleared the books in
October. ESSO returned to a normal payment stream, at
current price and volume, as of November.

--------------
2009 - REVENUES OFF
--------------


4. (SBU) De Mahieu estimated that Chad's oil revenues for
2009 would likely be 350-400 million USD, which was better
than anticipated. He said that September had been critical
with the GOC burning through its line of credit at BEAC with
little future revenue in sight. By contrast, he noted that
the GOC had recently ceased approaching ESSO for advances or
pre-payments of projected royalties.

--------------
2010 - A BETTER YEAR
--------------


5. (SBU) De Mahieu postulated that if oil prices stayed at
current levels and the Doba field's output stayed constant,
the combination of royalties and payments would generate some
600 - 800 million USD in revenue for the GOC during 2010. He
cautioned, however, that there were additional external
factors that could affect his forecast, such as future OPEC
decisions. Other constraints on the GOC budget, such as the
repayment of the BEAC line of credit and public revenue
management efforts by the IMF, could also affect the GOC's
freedom to spend the money as it wished.


--------------
COMMENT
--------------


6. (SBU) De Mahieu is not a purveyor of rosy scenarios. If
his estimates of current and future Chad oil revenues are
accurate, this makes very for good news for the GOC in 2010
and beyond. Chad's best revenue year, to put all this in
perspective, was 2008, when it took in 1.2 billion/billion
USD. The GOC's total revenues for the next few years might
have an impact on the viability of USG assistance to Chad to
purchase military transport aircraft, provided that the GOC
work closely with the IMF and World Bank to ensure that major
military expenditures are made within the budgetary
frameworks agreed between Chad and the IFIs. END SUMMARY.

NIGRO