Malaysian state-owned oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Bhd, or
Petronas, has evacuated 86 staff and other Malaysians working at its
facilities in South Sudan following a recent spate of violence there
that has claimed hundreds of lives.
"A small number of essential staff members and other Malaysian
workers remain in South Sudan," a statement from the company said
Tuesday.
The company, together with its partners, have shut field
operations in South Sudan except those in the North Eastern Block, the
statement added.
Petronas operates in South Sudan through some joint ventures
such as Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Co. Ltd., in which it owns a
30% stake, and Petrodar Operating Company, in which it holds 40%.
Petronas is monitoring the situation and is in constant touch
with Malaysia's Foreign Ministry to assess the situation, the statement
said.
"At this point, our priority is the safety and well-being of
our employees and those working for us in South Sudan, so we are not
able to offer additional comments beyond this," Petronas spokesman Azman
Ibrahim told The Wall Street Journal.
The company's production in South Sudan was disrupted for more
than a year due to a dispute with neighboring Sudan over transit fees,
though production at its Sudan operation wasn't affected.
Still, Petronas aggressively ramped up its operations in South
Sudan and was producing about 200,000 barrels of oil a day, Chief
Executive Shamsul Azhar Abbas said at the company's third-quarter
earnings news conference last month.