Mystery over refinery construction deal

From The East African, Dar es Salaam
By JOINT REPORT

Mystery surrounds the status of a firm granted a contract to construct $3.5 billion refinery plant on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam in 2005.

At that time of signing the deal — described by then planning minister Dr Juma Ngasongwa as “the largest single investment to take place in our country since independence’’ — Noor Oil and Industrial Technology was reported to be registered in Qatar.

It has since emerged that it was registered in the United States in 2006.

Noor Oil is currently incorporated under the laws of the State of California.

According to the company’s website, it leads a consortium whose members are Noor Oil & Industrial Technology Inc, OAO Stroytransgaz, 000 Prometey/ Sakneftegazstroy, Roneg AG, and Russia Union of Oil.

This newspaper has also been informed that Noor Oil has been given two parcels of land at Kisiju in Mkuranga district of Coast Region to build a refinery plant with a capacity to process 10,000,000 tonnes of crude oil per annum.

The company also intends to build an oil pipeline from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza and Kigoma.

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