2006年VOA标准英语-Mauritania Set to Join Club of African Oil

By Nico Colombant
Abidjan
22 February 2006

Map of Mauritania    
  
Mauritania is set to join the club of Africa's oil producers, but before any crude has started flowing, uncertainty¹ already surrounds the lucrative² and often disruptive resource.

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Several technical problems have already delayed the ceremonial opening of Mauritania's Chinguetti offshore³ oil field, now tentatively scheduled for Friday.

Initial exports will not begin until late March, but if they do, the field is expected to yield about 75,000 barrels a day of sweet crude for 10 years. This would immediately make Mauritania the 10th biggest oil producer in Africa, behind Cameroon and ahead of Tunisia.

Mauritania's military government has predicted oil riches in 2006 will push its economic growth rate to more than 20 percent, and boost state coffers by up to $300 million. In an impoverished⁴ country of three million people, that could help development.

The government has already received a $15 million cash bonus and $130 million loan from a British-based company, Sterling⁵ Energy.

But, before it joins the oil-producing club, the government is also having problems with the Chinguetti field's operator, the Australian company, Woodside Petroleum⁶. The government wants to rework amendments⁷ to production sharing contracts, which it says, were signed outside the legal framework of normal practice.

The former energy minister, responsible for the deal, was arrested and charged in January for serious crimes against the country's economic interests. Court proceedings⁸ against him began this week.

These developments could be worrisome for future investors⁹, according to Ian Gary, a Washington-based oil expert with Oxfam America.

"Oil companies are interested in investing in countries where they know that their investments are secure and that the rules of the game are not going to change every other year or with each successive new government and so there are definitely risks to the strategy but it is also important that African countries are able to renegotiate a fair deal on behalf of their citizens," he noted¹⁰.

But big companies like France's Total are already lining¹¹ up to develop other Mauritanian oil fields, including two land areas in the northeast of the country. Two off-shore sites Tiof One and Tiof West are believed to have up to 400 million barrels worth of oil.

Oil officials hope that in three or four years time, Mauritania could be one of Africa's top four producers, behind Nigeria, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

Another analyst¹², Olly Owen, with the London-based group Global Insight, says it is important that before Mauritania goes any further with new partners, it starts establishing a good, legal framework.

"The real key in terms of it being a mutually beneficial relationship is to have a regulatory environment that's solid. That means for investors that they are not going to trip over these kinds of disputes that Woodside are now engaged in with the Mauritanian government because it should all be clear when the deals are made on the table," said Owen.

"And for Mauritania it also means that it will have to lead to a transparent¹³ government in effect so that people know, the public knows, where the funds are going, how much is coming in, how it's going to be used," he continued. "So it's really a matter of getting a regulatory environment solidly set up and that is a concern that the IMF has recently expressed as well with regard to Mauritania."

The military government has made promises of ensuring oil wealth helps the poor, and that elections next year will bring democracy.

But when oil and big money stakes are involved, the analysts¹⁴ warn, promises have to be tracked carefully. Since Chad started exporting oil in late 2003, they point out, President Idriss Deby had the constitution changed to run for a third term, while gutting¹⁵ World Bank arrangements to guarantee oil funds for poverty alleviation¹⁶.

1 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

2 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

3 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

4 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

6 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

7 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

8 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

12 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

13 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

14 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

15 gutting   

n.去内脏v.毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的现在分词 )；取出…的内脏

参考例句：

16 alleviation   

n. 减轻，缓和，解痛物

参考例句：

• These were the circumstances and the hopes which gradually brought alleviation to Sir Thomas's pain. 这些情况及其希望逐渐缓解了托马斯爵士的痛苦。
• The cost reduction achieved in this way will benefit patients and the society in burden alleviation. 集中招标采购降低的采购成本要让利于患者，减轻社会负担。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语