The Vice-President of CNPCIC visits COTCO
On 23 January 2025, the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company (COTCO) received a visit from a delegation from the China National Petroleum Corporation International Chad (CNPCIC), led by its Vice-President, Ms Jia Ying. This visit is a significant milestone in strengthening the strategic partnership between the two companies, which have been collaborating since 2014.
At COTCO’s headquarters located in the Bonapriso neighbourhood of Douala. the CNPCIC delegation was greeted by COTCO’s General Manager, Jean-Paul SIMO NJONOU, and Deputy General Manager, Haoua DAOUSSA DEBY, accompanied by staff from the Commercial Department. In his welcome address, COTCO’s General Manager emphasised the vital importance of this long-standing partnership, stating: “CNPCIC is one of our main customers (shipper), and the excellence of our collaboration since the start of crude transport in 2014 is testimony to our joint success.” Since the launch of crude oil transportation via the Chad-Cameroon pipeline, CNPCIC has played a key role in COTCO’s success. In 2024, the CNPCIC/CLIVEDEN consortium delivered 33 million barrels of crude into the pipeline, with 29 liftings at the Komé-Kribi 1 marine terminal. This growth dynamic has been reinforced by the signing of amendments to the transport contract, integrating seven new CNPCIC production fields. COTCO’s General Manager emphasised the significance of this expansion, stating: “These developments underscore the strength of our partnership and our capacity to meet our customers’ requirements for dependable and secure crude oil transportation.”
COTCO is committed to maintaining the integrity and reliability of its infrastructure and ensuring the sustainability and performance of the transportation system. It has embarked on several strategic projects: the replacement of link arms on the FSO, the adaptation of the pipeline for high paraffin content crudes and the development of a strategy for the future of the marine terminal. These investments demonstrate COTCO’s commitment to offering an increasingly safe and efficient transport system that meets the growing demands of its shippers, including CNPCIC.
Cooperation in the face of challenges
During the discussions, the COTCO General Manager also took the opportunity of this visit to mention the failure to remove a CNPCIC cargo on 1 January 2025, an unprecedented incident since the start of operations in 2003. “This exceptional event is currently being evaluated to fully assess its impact. We remain convinced that, in the spirit of cooperation and dialogue that characterises our relations, together we will be able to learn the lessons necessary to avoid any recurrence”, he added. The Vice-President of CNPCIC acknowledged the direct and collateral damage caused to all stakeholders by this failure to remove the crude oil and promised that such a situation would not be repeated in the future. “As part of a win-win collaboration, and to limit the risk of this major incident, our teams are working on every possibility to anticipate the arrival of our takeaway vessel scheduled for takeaway on 06 January 2025”, she declared.
The Chad-Cameroon pipeline, the leader in crude oil transportation in Central Africa, remains a strategic asset for COTCO’s shippers. The General Manager reaffirmed his determination to maintain this fruitful long-term collaboration, stressing that “this pipeline is not only an efficient and reliable transport tool, but also a symbol of safety and reliability for our partners”.
The visit by Ms Jia Ying and her delegation is part of a drive to strengthen the partnership between COTCO and CNPCIC, with the two companies aiming to enhance their strategic ties as part of a win-win partnership focused on innovation and sustainable performance. COTCO has reassured its shippers by guaranteeing an increasingly reliable, safe and efficient transport system for the oil industry in the sub-region.
Emmanuel ATENGA
