This archive report was first published on 22 June 2021.
On June 16, 2021, the Democratic Republic of Congo's hydrocarbons ministry sent a letter to Oil of DRCongo, stating that exploration permits for two oil concessions near the Ugandan border, granted to Israeli investor Dan Gertler's companies in 2010, were no longer valid.
The concessions, Blocks 1 and 2, are thought to contain over a billion barrels of oil, but the companies have yet to enter production.
The letter also ended a production-sharing agreement reached in 2010 and asked the companies to transfer technical data and pay outstanding charges.
Oil of DRCongo, which oversees Gertler's oil interests in Congo, disputed the decision, citing a force majeure declared last year due to the government's lack of progress in securing an export route.
"The force majeure was subsequently confirmed in May 2021 by the State Council and therefore remains in place until the reasons for the force majeure are resolved, by law," a spokesperson for Oil of DRCongo said.
"Oil of DRCongo remains committed to working with all parties to resolve the force majeure, identifying a competitive evacuation system, and bringing these assets towards production," the spokesperson added.
US Treasury sanctions imposed on Gertler in 2017 and 2018 accused him of leveraging his friendship with former Congo President Joseph Kabila to secure lucrative mining deals, which Gertler denies.
