Seychelles and Japan team up in oil search

Seychelles and Japan team up in oil search - 07.06.2013

President James Michel, who holds the portfolio for hydrocarbons, has announced that Seychelles and Japan will be concluding an agreement in the near future for a joint oil exploration programme in the Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone.


President Michel and his delegation (left) in talks with JOGMEC representatives

This follows a meeting held in Yokohama between President Michel and the President of Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC), Hirobumi Kawano.
Mr Kawano said that JOGMEC was highly interested in the potential of discovery of oil and gas deposits in the waters of the Seychelles archipelago, and that it had conducted preliminary discussions with PetroSeychelles.

The JOGMEC President also added that any future exploration activities will be undertaken with utmost care for the protection of the environment, and that JOGMEC would share expertise with PetroSeychelles for various safe methods of exploration. In the preliminary stage, joint seismic surveys would be undertaken.

President Michel said that Seychelles looks forward to a fruitful partnership with JOGMEC and that the confidence expressed by Japanese experts would further boost the initiative to discover oil, gas and other mineral deposits, which would bring an added dimension to the already thriving cooperation between Seychelles and Japan.

“We are conscious of the potential for vast amounts of oil and gas deposits, however any exploration in Seychelles waters would need to be done with the greatest attention to the protection of our pristine environment. We welcome this proposal to partner with Japan, which is highly reputed for attention to environmental and technical excellence in this field of research and development,” said President Michel.

In December 2012, a delegation from PetroSeychelles visited Japan at the invitation of the Japanese government and met with JOGMEC and Japanese oil companies. A JOGMEC delegation visited Seychelles in March 2013 for further discussions.
An agreement for the joint exploration programme is currently under review by the Seychelles government.

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Seychelles to work with Japan on clean energy project

30-July-2014



Seychelles is expected to benefit from a Japan-funded project which is assessing the feasibility of a system combining photovoltaic and diesel generators.

This and other environment and energy related issues were top on the agenda of a meeting between the Minister for Environment and Energy Professor Rolph Payet and Mikio Mori, the deputy chief of mission at the embassy of Japan based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mr Mori, who is on a working visit to Seychelles, paid a courtesy call this week on Minister Payet at his secretariat at the Le Chantier Mall.
During the meeting discussions revolved around the participation of Seychelles in a project to formulate a master plan for the development of micro grid in remote islands.

The two countries have concluded an agreement to work together on this project which is being funded under Japan’s Official Development Assistance Programme.

Minister Payet said that the courtesy call by Mr Mori was important as Seychelles and Japan intend to reinforce partnership and collaboration in the field of renewable energy, coastal erosion and coastal flooding management.

He noted that Japan has supported the country in several projects as well as offering training in several fields.
Minister Payet also conveyed his appreciation for the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) in the coastal erosion and coastal flooding management project which Seychelles has benefitted from.

The recently completed project, delivered by Japan at a cost of US $3 million, will help mitigate flooding in several areas, notably in the eastern part of Mahé.
Japan and Seychelles established diplomatic ties in June 1976.

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