PETROINVESTE RESPONDS TO ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY CENTRE FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY

MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE, October 13, 2015 /EINPresswire.com/ -- 2015-10-06) Club Of Mozambique has received a clarification from the lawyers of QUIONGA ENERGIA SA, CDI and CABO INVESTMENTS LTD on an article we uploaded on September 23 titled ‘Mozambican NGO questions Petroinveste and Namoza participation in Angoche oil blocks licensing round’. This article, originally published in Voice of America/ VOA Português, was based on an article published by the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP). Please read the full text from the legal representatives of Petroinveste Mozambique, SA below.



Dear Director,

As legal representatives of Petroinveste Mozambique, SA ('Petroinvest'), and, following the publication issue on 11/2015, of August 2015, with the title ''Will Frelimo-linked Petroinvest be forced on Winners' clarified as follows:


1. Petroinveste is a company duly incorporated and registered under Mozambican law, it includes three groups of national companies that together represent interests of more than 700 Mozambicans, which includes national natural and legal persons, holding a 51% stake.


2. As such, and because it met all requirements of the bid documents and Mining Legislation in force, punctually submitted its application process for the 5th Licensing Round, conducted by the Instituto Nacional de Petróleos (INP).


3. Petroinveste was not rejected by any operator and did not ask to be part of any consortium with any multinational nor did it approach any multinational for partnership. Our option to apply as a Non Operator, did not result from any exclusion or rejection by the multinational competitors. The claim that Petroinveste was excluded from partnerships with multinationals is totally unfounded, false and irresponsible.


4. Under the terms of the tender, Petroinveste is not seeking a carried cost free interest as mentioned in the article it has sourced its own funding.


5. The decision to present the application process for the Angoche blocks was made in conjunction with our technical and funding partners based on technical merits, growth potential and other significant factors and was not privy to any inside information whatsoever despite the insinuations to the contrary in the CIP article.


6. Petroinveste exercised its sovereign right to participate in the competition as a Non Operator allowed by law and under the regulations in the bidding guidelines as published by INP.


7. Petroinveste presented a highly aggressive and competitive bid after more than a year of intense preparation and we believe that it fully complies with the minimum requirements for the objectives in question, in accordance with tender regulations and INP, respectively.


8. Petroinveste purpose is to create and build a leading company in the oil and gas sector, to benefit Mozambicans. Its intended that Petroinveste play its role in assisting and creating capacity building in the energy sector as the first and only Indigenous oil and gas company, in Mozambique.


9. Most countries (especially African) with similar exploration activities have adopted local content policies based on law, and has been successful in most cases, and this shall be the rule rather than the exception in Mozambique. There are many successful examples of local content success stories without the need to cite the particular case in Angola as an example.


10. Finally, Petroinveste is a Mozambican company in which the majority stake is held by Mozambique’s from Rovuma to Maputo and from the Indian ocean to Zumbo, of every creed, color and party affiliation. Petroinveste as no political party as shareholders and it isn’t owned by any political party and is certainly not forcing itself on the winners, again the License Round is a competitive and transparent process.

Therefore the insinuation / claim that Petroinveste is the arm of the Frelimo Party company is totally misplaced, irresponsible and false.

We are of course available to clarify any questions that may arise and suggest in the future we are afforded the opportunity to disclose the facts rather than allowing such a sensational and biased report to be published without the opportunity to disclose the realities of our business and motives which we believe are very positive for Mozambique.

sincerely yours,


For QUIONGA ENERGIA SA
Dr. Abdul Carimo

For CDI
Prf. José Katupha

For CABO INVESTMENTS LTD
Ivan Remane


Source: Petroinveste

Photo: File

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