The participants were unanimous in expressing their deep concern to the Congolese Government regarding the granting of a concession for oil exploration in an area of Virunga National Park.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES

The 30-year venture to treat the potentially deadly gases in Bab also puts Europe's largest energy company in a strong position to renew its role in the UAE's largest onshore oil concession, on which the Bab field stands, when that contract comes up for renewal early next year.

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In the interim, the government had included the area in an oil and gas concession now held by a consortium involving Canada's Talisman Energy, Brazil's Petrobras and Spain's Repsol.

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However, there is fear at the Russian oil giant that this concession could become worthless in an era post-Saddam Hussein.

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Iraq would not enjoy immunity from claims on its oil and revenues in the case of ecological accidents such as oil spills - a concession to France and Spain.

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Elsewhere, two oil discoveries were made in the onshore East Beni Suef concession, in which Dana has a 50% stake.

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Guyana has problems, too, with Venezuela , which has revived a claim to almost half its territory, including the site of a recently granted concession for a private space port and what may be large offshore oil reserves.

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Petro Kareem will produce oil and gas from a lease within the North Zeit Bay concession, located onshore in the Gulf of Suez.

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Critics have also accused Sonangol -- which is both concession-granter and regulator of the industry -- of acting as a way to funnel part of the oil revenues to the political elite.

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