Heglig oil field
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Panthou, Heglig هجلیج (arabic) Pathdthow, Heglieg |
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|---|---|
| Town | |
 Panthou, Heglig
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| Coordinates: 9°59′58″N 29°23′55″E / 9.99944°N 29.39861°ECoordinates: 9°59′58″N 29°23′55″E / 9.99944°N 29.39861°E | |
| Country |
 South Sudan
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| State | Unity |
Panthou or Heglig as it is known to the Arab (also spelled pandthow or Heglieg or even Hedwig) is a small town at the border between the South Kordofan state of Sudan and the Unity State in South Sudan. The entire Panthou or Heglig is recognized by South Sudanese government as a disputed area, but Sudan is considered it as its own. The Dinka tribe who claim Panthou or Heglig as their own hometown state that it was the original name that was translated from Dinka word of tree called Thou preceded by Pand for land or area into an Arabic word heglig, for the same kind of trees. The area was contested during the Sudanese Civil War. In mid-April 2012, the South Sudanese army captured the Heglig (Panthou) oil field from Sudan.
Sudan claimed it took back the oil-rich region of Heglig after a 10-day occupation by South Sudan's army (SPLA).
Heglig is the Arabic name of the "desert date", the fruit of the Balanites aegyptiaca tree, which is found in most parts of Africa and the Middle East. Sudanese Sufis use heglig (lalob) seeds to make rosaries. Lalob is also a favorite food for camels, goats, sheep and cattle. South Sudan does not recognize the name Heglig for the town. During the 10-day occupation by the SPLA, South Sudan restored the name of the town Panthou, a Dinka translation of the word heglig. Panthou is a combination of two words in Dinka; Pand which mean the area or home and Thou for the tree (desert dates), in which Panthou is mean land or home of desert's date. There are many places around the Dinka areas that have the name of Panthou. It was translated to Arabic word of heglig when the oil was discovered on it.
Panthou is situated within the Muglad Basin, a rift basin which contains much of South Sudan's proven oil reserves. The Heglig oil field was first developed in 1996 by Arakis Energy (now part of Talisman Energy). Today it is operated by the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company. Production at Heglig is reported to have peaked in 2006 and is now in decline. The Heglig oil field is connected to Khartoum and Port Sudan via the Greater Nile Oil Pipeline.
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Wikipedia