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The Geopoliticalmonitor’s Patrick Johnson examines what the government of Sudan is doing to help its energy industry recover from the South’s separation. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. For the full article text, please visit:  http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/sudans-energy-industry-eyes-a-comeback-4794/ Sudan’s Energy Industry Eyes a Comeback By: Patrick Johnson March 25th, 2013 South Sudan may have taken most of Sudan’s known energy reserves with it when it voted for independence in 2011, but that doesn’t mean Khartoum has given up on keeping Sudan in the mix of Africa’s key energy players. Eyeing a bounce back, Sudan has been courting energy companies worldwide with the promise of untapped resources in Sudan. And given the relatively raw nature of these unexplored blocks, the strategy could conceivably bear fruit over the medium term.   Over the past year, Sudan has auctioned off several exploration blocks, and these auctions have been well-attended by private and state-owned corporations. For example, a July 2012 auction put nine new blocks into play, attracting bids from over 72 companies. Companies based in Canada, China, Nigeria, Australia, Brazil, and France were awarded concessions, and the auction was hailed as a success by Sudanese government officials. These auctions have taken place against the backdrop of an active government campaign to promote the advantages of the Sudanese energy market. During a recent trip to Jakarta by Ahmed Ibrahim al-Tahir, the speaker of Sudan’s parliament, an Indonesian official was quoted as saying that the Sudanese government had offered several gas exploration opportunities to Indonesian companies. The government of Sudan has also been courting participation by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which, judging by the $1.5 billion loan it extended to the Sudanese government in January, won’t be abandoning its longstanding business partner anytime soon. For the full article text, please visit:  http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/sudans-energy-industry-eyes-a-comeback-4794/