Five years after oil was first produced from the Doba basin in southern Chad, the Chad Export Project continues to provide significant economic growth and development to the country and its residents. Stephane de Mahieu, general manager, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., an ExxonMobil affiliate, discussed the project’s contributions to the nation at the Chad International Oil, Mining and Energy Conference.

"One of the most obvious contributions is oil revenues paid to Chad,” de Mahieu said. “At mid-year 2008, Chad’s total revenue from the project exceeded $3 billion. These revenues improve the lives of Chad’s citizens through investments such as paved roads and a new technical university in the outskirts of Moundou that is attended by 1,200 students.”

De Mahieu also pointed out that the project has spent $1.8 billion for goods and services from an estimated 2,200 Chadian and Cameroonian businesses since 2000.

“We made the commitment to hire locally as much as possible, which is why in a matter of only a few years, 9 out of 10 employees are Chadians and Cameroonians, with a majority of our national workers in skilled, semi-skilled or supervisory positions,” he said.

Tags: Exxon Mobil Corporation