Adar oilfield

Adar is an area southwest of Mabaan, which lies on the White Nile in Upper Nile state, and to the west of Ethiopia. The Khor Adar, which drains the Machar Marshes, flows through the region in a northwest direction to the Nile, which it reaches just above Melut. Discharge from the marshes along the Adar river is low except in years with exceptionally heavy rainfall. The Chevron Corporation discovered the Adar Yale field in 1981, shortly before the start of the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005). Four exploratory wells had flow rates that exceeded a day. Chevron started to pull out of Sudan in 1984 when three of its employees were killed, finally selling all of its Sudanese interests in 1992. ==Development and production==

Chevron suspended operations in 1984, and their concession was later divided into smaller units. The U.S. government had been highly critical of Canadian involvement in Sudan oil development and in February 2000 the U.S. Treasury announced that American persons were forbidden to do business with the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC) and Sudapet. Petrodar was incorporated in October 2001 owned 41% by China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) and 40% by Petronas of Malaysia. Petrodar implemented major upgrades to the oil development infrastructure, including /day production facilities at the Adar Yale field, now largely cleared of its original inhabitants. In November 2005 CNCP brought the Petrodar pipeline into operation, linking Blocks 3 and 7 (Adar Yale and Palogue fields) to Port Sudan on the Red Sea. The pipeline has throughput of per day, and maximum capacity of . By January 2007 combined output from Blocks 3 and 7 was 165,000 with potential to reach a peak of by late 2007. By 2009, the two blocks were producing close to of Dar blend. Because this blend of crude oil is heavy and highly acidic, it fetches lower prices than benchmark crudes such as Brent or Minas. ==People==

Adar is predominantly inhabited by the Mabaan people, who mainly cultivate crops and raise cattle. Soon after Chevron had closed operations, government troops began attacking civilian settlements in the area, burning the houses and driving the people away. This resulted in many deaths. In the late 1990s, Nuer militias from Nasir helped the army in clearing away the people to make way for the roads and infrastructure of the oilfield. Aid workers were also targeted in attacks, with NGO compounds, farm supply distribution centers and primary health care centers vandalized and destroyed. One estimate is that 12,000 people were forced to move in 1999-2000 while the all-weather road was being built between Melut, Paloic and Adar. Another source said church leaders reported that government militias burned 48 villages and displaced 55,000 people in the Adar area in 2000. According to International Relief and Development agency (IRD) director Derek Hammond, the areas around Adar contained "Fields of destroyed crops with no evidence of any type of food, a handful of local people scratching around in a swamp for something to eat". ==Security==

In July 1996 the Government of Sudan attacked Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) positions at Delal Ajak, west of the Nile. Their goal was to secure passage for barge shipments of oil from the Adar-1 field. In November 1996, SPLA leader John Garang gave warning that his forces would attack the Adar Yale oil field. A spokesman for the SPLA denied responsibility for the accident, saying they did not have forces in the area. The Sudanese Civil War officially ended in January 2005, and the Juba Declaration of 8 January 2006 laid out the basis for unifying rival military forces in South Sudan. Gordon Kong Chuol, Deputy Commander of the South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF), which had been supported by the Government of Sudan, resisted the merger. His core faction, the "Nasir Peace Force" was based in the village of Ketbek, just north of Nasir, with 75-80 fighters as of August 2006 and perhaps 300 reserve forces in the area. His position on the border with Sudan to the north and near to the functioning Adar Yale oilfield was sensitive. In July 2006, four busloads of SSDF recruits arrived in the area from Khartoum. In August 2006 there were reported to be 300-400 active SSDF militiamen in the Adar area. China has provided a large investment in the Adar oilfield and others in South Sudan, as well as in oilfields in Sudan, and in the pipeline to Port Sudan. China established a consulate in Juba in September 2008 and upgraded it to an embassy in November 2010. China has made plans to make significant investments in South Sudan. A pipeline to the Kenyan port of Lamu is being discussed which could provide an alternative route if Sudan chooses to close the northern pipeline. It is in China's interest to resolve security problems, and as a major investor and customer of both countries China may have the leverage to achieve this goal. ==References==