DILI, 01 september 2021 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals (MPM) and the National Authority of Oil and Minerals (ANMP) conducted an assessment of the environmental implications of the oil and gas exploration project in the south-western municipalities – Manufahi, Covalima, and Ainaro.
The Minister of Petroleum and Minerals, Víctor da Conceição Soares informed that based on the government plan, next month, Timor-Resources Company will begin the drilling of the two onshore oil and gas wells in Covalima – Matai Karau and Camanasa Samfu, adding: “Timor Resources Company had acquired the environmental licensing for the drilling of the two onshore oil wells.”
“However, the process of the environmental licensing of the drilling of a well in Foho-Ailiko village of the Hatu-Udu administrative post, in Ainaro municipality and another well in Betano village of the Same administrative post, in Manufahi municipality was taking a bit longer than we expected. So, now our Environmental Study Team is trying to accelerate the process. And soon we will issue an environmental license for Timor Resource Company with the drilling of the oil and gas in these two villages,” said Soares at the Ministry of Finance, in Dili, on wednesday.
The government will soon be issuing the environmental license to the Timor Resource Company so that it could accelerate its drilling of the two wells in Covalima and then moving the equipment for the drilling of others well in Manufahi.
“So, during the month of august, the Commission for the Environmental Impact Assessment organized a public consultation on Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) with the communities in Foho-Ailiko and Betano village,” said Soares.
He said the public consultation was aiming to have a detailed discussion with the communities and local authorities on the environmental implications and socioeconomic impact of the drilling of oil and gas in the villages.
Timor Resource Company demanded special permission from the government so that it can bring onshore drilling engineers and workers from Indonesia.
“I have notified the Integrated Crisis Management Center (ICMC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MoFAC), and the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to give these workers special permission to come to Timor-Leste,” added Soares.
Previously, the government pledged to give special permission to offshore and onshore drilling workers to keep working during the pandemic.
Journalist: Florencio Ximenes Miranda
Editor: Julia Chatarina
Translator: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
