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posted by janrinok on Sunday November 08 2015, @01:59AM   Printer-friendly
from the wildlife-one-percenters dept.

Seismic tests in Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Virunga National Park, Africa's oldest wildlife reserve which is famed for its mountain gorillas, have confirmed the presence of oil, the Congolese government said Friday.

Tests carried out by British oil company Soco had returned "positive" on the presence of oil deposits, Minister of Hydrocarbons Aime Ngoy Mukena told AFP by telephone.

On the question of "whether there is an oil field" underneath the park, the study answered "yes", he said, without giving further details.

The announcement was likely to reignite a heated debate within DRC over the merits of exploring for oil in the vast park, which covers some 7,800 square kilometres (3,010 square miles) of lush forest, glaciated peaks and savannah in the restive eastern province of North Kivu.

The UNESCO world heritage site reopened to tourists last year after being closed for two years because of militia violence in the region. UNESCO has warned several times that any exploration for oil in the park would be "incompatible" with its heritage status.


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  • (Score: 2) by davester666 on Sunday November 08 2015, @04:13AM

    by davester666 (155) on Sunday November 08 2015, @04:13AM (#260238)

    They can have it once we are finished with it. I may be persuaded to part with it if they will trade me a functioning Dyson Sphere around a star that is similar to the Sun in size, radiation and lifespan.

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  • (Score: 2) by Geotti on Sunday November 08 2015, @11:10AM

    by Geotti (1146) on Sunday November 08 2015, @11:10AM (#260296) Journal

    if they will trade me a functioning Dyson Sphere around a star that is similar to the Sun in size, radiation and lifespan.

    No problem, however that star is on the other end of the universe, hope that ain't a problem for ya.