Takeaways from AP visit to Congo as nation offers expanded oil drilling
The central African nation of Congo is looking to expand oil and gas drilling by auctioning off 30 sites around the country
MOANDA, Congo (AP) — The central African nation of Congo is offering 30 oil and gas blocks around the country for auction. It's a prospect that concerns environmentalists and some of the people who live near the drilling that has so far been limited to a small area near its far western border on the Atlantic Ocean.
The Associated Press visited Moanda territory, including two villages near drilling sites, and heard from residents who said air and ground pollution has hurt their crops and caused health problems. They say Perenco, the French-British company that began drilling in 2000, has failed to address those problems, and advocacy groups say they want to see changes before drilling expands.
Perenco disputes any problems.
Some takeaways from AP's visit:
