Bro. Jassey Conteh,
We must open our eyes in dealing with the AFPRC government. They think we
are still sleeping in darkness. By 1998 / 99 they were suppose to electrify
the whole of Gambia, and now we are in 2004 without normal electricity in
the Gambia, except Kanilai ( our new capital ). We wish them good luck with
the oil! Let them help the people suffering, period.

Elhadj.




----- Original Message -----
From: "Jassey Conteh" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2004 7:17 PM
Subject: Re: Oil , gas and heavy metals disvovered


> Comrades:
>
> Please let us not jump to speculation in believing everything that Jammeh
says.  Until those doing the work can verifiably state that oil and other
natural resources are beneath the ocean, we must be very careful in
believing in one man's conclusion.
>
> The issue of possible oil resources beneath the ocean had been speculated
by the Jawara government.  One should understand that depletion costs in
recovering oil and other natural resources might exceed benefits derived.
This might be the conclusion reached by the Jawara government.
>
> It may also be of environmental consequences on ecology.  I hope Dr.
Malanding Jaiteh can set light to the consequences of exploring beneath the
ocean.  Is it also possible that these deposits are near international
maritime lines?
>
> I will not rush to judgment, especially when one man dictates how things
should run in the Gambia.
>
> Naphiyo,
> Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Luntang <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Feb 16, 2004 12:15 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Oil , gas and heavy metals disvovered
>
> Oil, gas discovered
> as well as heavy metals
> By Sheriff Bojang, Madi Njie & Ebrima Jaw Manneh
> Feb 16, 2004, 13:30
>
> The president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, has revealed that huge reserves
of oil have been discovered in the country. In a
> televised address to the nation on Friday, February 13 at 18:00 from his
office, State House, President Jammeh said the discovery of
> oil in the country has been confirmed by "Western companies" contracted to
conduct a study of a possible presence of potential
> natural resources in the country.
>
> The companies, which he declined to name, have completed a thorough
evaluation of 500 square kilometres out of 2,000 square
> kilometres of deep water, and 3,000 square kilometres of shallow water of
The Gambia's maritime on and offshore territories.
>
> President Jammeh said before the end of the year, an exploratory well
could be drilled and tested to confirm the results of the
> study. That, he said, could mark the beginning of a new future for The
Gambia. "With this first study, we have planted the seeds of
> what we believe...will be prosperity for our people. This harvest will
change the future of our country," he said. The President
> further revealed that a study has already been commissioned "to study and
evaluate the extent of oil in the remainder of the Gambian
> deep sea and shallow water maritime and land territories" and that more
oil reserves are likely to be discovered.
>
> According to him, since 1956, there have been efforts to explore the
existence of oil reserves in The Gambia. He said the former
> regime of President Jawara contracted a Canadian company [Petro Canada
International] to undergo a study in the 1980s, but it was a
> failure, and that when he assumed power, he gave it a high priority,
successfully culminating in the current discovery.
>
> Dubbing the discovery "The Alhamdulillah Prospect", President Jammeh said
the travails of the Gambian people like hunger and
> poverty, will become "things of the past". He commended the governments of
Canada, Taiwan, Nigeria, Turkey and Mauritania and all
> institutions and companies who made the project a success within six
months.
> Justifying the Friday announcement which his critics are likely to call
premature, President Jammeh explained that he wanted to shed
> light on the speculations following his last new year message in which he
intimated that The Gambia could undergo a seismic
> transformation from being a borrower nation to a donor nation.
>
> President Jammeh also said he took over the portfolio of Energy from the
department of state for Trade and Industry because in
> addition to sorting out the persistent electricity problem, he wanted to
fast-pedal the search for oil.
>
> The president however cautioned the people of The Gambia that the country
could be wealthy and yet they remain poor if they do not
> change their unsung attitudes and kick out corruption. He said Gambians
should foster homogeneity and avoid sectionalism, tribalism
> and cronyism.
>
> Windfall
> Meanwhile, Daily Observer has learnt that The Gambia also has large
deposits of natural gas and heavy minerals like ilmenite, zircon
> and rutile, found along the coastal areas and that more than one million
of these heavy minerals have already been assessed years
> ago.
>
> Speaking to the authoritative US Defense & Foreign Affairs Strategic
Policy Magazine, President Jammeh was quoted as saying, "The
> country has a significant mineral potential; and do not exclude raw
materials for making tiles, ceramics and other types of raw
> materials which could be used for construction."
>
> In September 2002, the Gambia Government began discussing a programme of
soil classification and base mapping in the country, using
> the Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing Technology
(RST).
>
> Apart from the importance of such data for agriculture and mineral
exploitation, the use of satellite reconnaissance to accurately
> define the region could contribute significantly to the 'quantification'
of The Gambia's assets. By identifying boundaries and
> creating an accurate and comprehensive cartographic base for the country,
the ground was laid for a valuation of national assets, a
> key to developing national creditworthiness. Further detailed geological
surveys in which 2D and 3D surveys were also carried out
> and the seismic data reports were found to have been "very positive and
encouraging".
>
> Hub
> West Africa is proving to be the world's most significant next area of
economic expansion and strategic energy and other natural
> resources and West African oil is said to be low in sulphur, reducing
refining cost. But what has been lacking is a viable and
> neutral nexus, to serve as a window for West Africa to the world, and a
portal through which the international community can focus
> on the region.
>
> However, since 2002, analysts in Washington have held the opinion that as
West African energy resources take on a new dimension of
> global importance, a new key to addressing the region appears to be
shaping up in the form of The Gambia.
> The Gambia is seen as an ideal hub or transshipment point for oil and or
natural gas pipelines as a pipeline network linking the
> West African energy fields with Europe is under consideration.
> © Copyright 2003 by Observer Company
>
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