Total and ENI officially ceased to be the concessionaires of the 300,000 bpd Djeno oil terminal at midnight on 17 November after five decades of being in exclusive dual charge, controlling 63% and 37% respectively. The day before, oil minister Jean-Marc Thystère Tchicaya sent Total's head of country Martin Deffontaines a letter, read by Africa Intelligence, in which he made it clear the terminal was now the exclusive property of the Republic of Congo. Tchiaya, himself a former Total Congo executive, does however go on to specify that operations would continue as is until 31 December to allow time for the future contractor to be set up. To ensure his group retains control of the terminal, Total chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné spent nearly a week in Congo in early November to try and win over President Denis Sassou Nguesso. The trip paid off. Pouyanné was able to secure Total another two decades as operator of the country's oil export facility (Africa Intelligence, 04/11/20). As oil minister, Tchicaya felt left out of the process and sharply reminded the oil major in his letter that throughout the transition period, from 18 November to 31 December, his administration would have "overall control, unlimited but neverthelss reasonable right of access to the terminal and right to communicate about all activities made on the Djeno oil terminal".
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