Vietnam has implemented its oil and gas exploration and exploitationtotally in the country’s continental shelf and waters in a continuousmanner and in line with international law and the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).
As early as in1969-1970, the then government of South Vietnam conducted seismicsurveys in its continental shelf, including the Cuu Long, Nam Con Son,Ma Lai-Tho Chu and Tu Chinh-Vung May basin areas.
During1973-1974, non-exclusive reconnaissance geophysical surveys were carriedout off the shore of central Vietnam and Hoang Sa (Paracel)archipelago, which belongs to Vietnam .
Since Vietnam wasreunified in 1975, the General Oil and Gas Department (now the VietnamNational Oil and Gas Group) has continued to implement legal oil and gasexploration and exploitation activities throughout the country’sexclusive economic zone and continental shelf of 200 nautical miles, asprescribed in UNCLOS 1982, which the National Assembly of Vietnamratified in 1994.
In addition, Vietnam issued the oil and gas law in 1993 and revised and supplemented versions in 2000 and 2008.
In implementing its oil and gas activities in the country’s exclusiveeconomic zone and continental shelf, Vietnam and its foreignpartners always abide by the oil and gas law as well as relatedinternational laws. The Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group has to datesigned 99 contracts in the field, of which 60 are valid.
Since1975, the group has joined hands with its foreign partners many times toconduct seismic and non-exclusive reconnaissance geophysical surveys inthe country’s continental shelf, including Hoang Sa’s waters.
Between 1993 and 1995, it conducted seismic surveys in the Tu Chinh-VungMay basin area. In 1994, the group drilled its first exploration wellPV-94-2X in the basin, which belongs to Lot 134.
From 2003-2013, together with foreign contractors, the groupimplemented seismic survey projects in areas around Phu Khanh and TuChinh-Vung May basins as part of the framework of their signedagreements.
The engagement and cooperation ofmany foreign partners in the oil and gas exploration and exploitationactivities in the East Sea proves the international community’srecognition of Vietnam ’s undeniable sovereignty, sovereign right andjurisdiction over the areas.
Since 1996,PetroVietnam has signed many agreements with foreign oil and gas firmsfor oil and gas exploration and exploitation in Tu Chinh-Vung May basinas well as offshore the central region. PetroVietnam and its partnershave also conducted a series of 2D and 3D seismic surveys to explore theoil and gas potential in these areas.
In thePhu Khanh and Tu Chinh-Vung May basins, Vietnam has maintained normaloperations despite China ’s illegal disturbances many times invarious forms, including diplomatic intervention and direct sabotage inthe field using aircraft and ships of all kinds.
PetroVietnam has also affirmed that in the future, it will continue itsnormal operations in these areas as well as other regions within thecontinental shelf and exclusive economic zone of Vietnam.
Recently, India ’s ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL) has also revealed itsintention to go ahead with its plan to explore Lot 128 as part of itsagreement with PetroVietnam. Earlier, the OVL received permission toextend its contract over Lot 128 by two years, so that it could finishthe uncompleted work, delayed due to complex geographic and technicalconditions, regardless of the groundless and perverse rejection ofChina .
OVL leaders said by the time theextension expires in June 2014, the OVL wishes to further lengthen thecontract by one or two years to conclude its commitments stated in thecontract.
The question is why the Indian partnerhas decided to continue the work with China conducting illegal movesintensifying tension in the East Sea? The answer is simple. TheIndia firm is completely sure that the oil and gas lot is totallylocated within Vietnam’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zoneand continental shelf.
Last year, the Russianstate-run Gazprom Group signed a cooperation agreement with PetroVietnamto exploit gas in the East Sea , with Gazprom holding 49 percentof the project’s share.
The two sides haveconducted exploitation in lots 05-2 and 05-3 in the East Sea with atotal gas reserve of 55.6 billion cubic metres and 25.1 billion tonnesof condensate.
In response to China’s demandfor Gazprom to stop its exploitation activities in the East Sea, theForeign Ministry of Vietnam affirmed that the current joint projectsbetween Vietnam and its foreign partners in the field of oil and gas,including those with Gazprom, are conducted within Vietnam’s exclusiveeconomic zone and continental shelf and totally under the sovereigntyand jurisdiction right of Vietnam. The projects are in conformity withinternational law, especially UNCLOS 1982.
Vietnam commits to and bears all responsibilities of protecting thelegitimate rights and interest of foreign partners in Vietnam ,stated the ministry.
At the same time,international opinion has clearly shown to be in support of Vietnam inthe East Sea issue, with large-scale acknowledgement that Chinahas behaved wrongly in terms of both words and actions.
It can be confirmed that all exploration and exploitation of the oiland gas of Vietnam , as well as the country’s cooperation activitieswith its foreign partners, have been conducted legally in accordancewith international regulations and practices without facing anyobjection but the illegal disturbance from China .
All arguments against Vietnam ’s oil and gas exploration andexploitation arbitrarily given by China are totally ungrounded, whichis actually China ’s excuse for its illegal placement of its HaiyangShiyou-981 in the waters of Vietnam as part of its scheme tomonopolise the East Sea .
At the beginning of May, the ChinaNational Offshore Oil Corporation illegally dispatched and positionedthe rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. According to UNCLOS 1982,the location is deep inside Vietnam ’s waters.
Sincebeing illegally placed in Vietnam ’s waters, the oil rig continued tobe moved, but still deep into Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone andcontinental shelf.
According to Nguyen Hong Thao, formerDeputy Chairman of the National Boundary Commission under the ForeignMinistry, the rig location is about 130 nautical miles from theVietnamese coast and 119 nautical miles from Ly Son Island, in centralVietnam, and 17 and 103 nautical miles from Tri Ton Reef and Phu Lamisland, respectively, in Hoang Sa archipelago. It is also 182 nauticalmiles from China ’s Hainan coast.
As prescribed in UNCLOS1982, the area where China illegally stationed its rig is deep insidethe exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of Vietnam .
HoangSa is the archipelago Vietnam claimed sovereignty over in the 17thcentury, but China used force to occupy all the islands in 1974.International law bans the use of force and thus does not recogniseoccupation of a territorial area through the use of force. China in1996 declared a baseline for the archipelago, with Tri Ton reef beingthe farthest point to the southwest of this baseline. This claim facedglobal criticism due to the fact that the archipelago is being disputed.However, China insists that it has sovereignty over Hoang Sa (orXisha, as it calls it) without any dispute and refuses to talk.
Moreseriously, in July 2012, China declared the establishment of aso-called Sansha city with its headquarters in Phu Lam Islandwhich has control over the sea area in the so-called nine-dash linewhich accounts for 80 percent of the East Sea.
Under Article 121 (3) of the 1982-UNCLOS, reefs or rocks un ableto sustain human habitation or economic activities of its own like TriTon are not entitled to a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone andcontinental shelf. They can only have a 12 nautical mile territorialwater at most.
Vietnam will never accept these acts of China.-VNA
As early as in1969-1970, the then government of South Vietnam conducted seismicsurveys in its continental shelf, including the Cuu Long, Nam Con Son,Ma Lai-Tho Chu and Tu Chinh-Vung May basin areas.
During1973-1974, non-exclusive reconnaissance geophysical surveys were carriedout off the shore of central Vietnam and Hoang Sa (Paracel)archipelago, which belongs to Vietnam .
Since Vietnam wasreunified in 1975, the General Oil and Gas Department (now the VietnamNational Oil and Gas Group) has continued to implement legal oil and gasexploration and exploitation activities throughout the country’sexclusive economic zone and continental shelf of 200 nautical miles, asprescribed in UNCLOS 1982, which the National Assembly of Vietnamratified in 1994.
In addition, Vietnam issued the oil and gas law in 1993 and revised and supplemented versions in 2000 and 2008.
In implementing its oil and gas activities in the country’s exclusiveeconomic zone and continental shelf, Vietnam and its foreignpartners always abide by the oil and gas law as well as relatedinternational laws. The Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group has to datesigned 99 contracts in the field, of which 60 are valid.
Since1975, the group has joined hands with its foreign partners many times toconduct seismic and non-exclusive reconnaissance geophysical surveys inthe country’s continental shelf, including Hoang Sa’s waters.
Between 1993 and 1995, it conducted seismic surveys in the Tu Chinh-VungMay basin area. In 1994, the group drilled its first exploration wellPV-94-2X in the basin, which belongs to Lot 134.
From 2003-2013, together with foreign contractors, the groupimplemented seismic survey projects in areas around Phu Khanh and TuChinh-Vung May basins as part of the framework of their signedagreements.
The engagement and cooperation ofmany foreign partners in the oil and gas exploration and exploitationactivities in the East Sea proves the international community’srecognition of Vietnam ’s undeniable sovereignty, sovereign right andjurisdiction over the areas.
Since 1996,PetroVietnam has signed many agreements with foreign oil and gas firmsfor oil and gas exploration and exploitation in Tu Chinh-Vung May basinas well as offshore the central region. PetroVietnam and its partnershave also conducted a series of 2D and 3D seismic surveys to explore theoil and gas potential in these areas.
In thePhu Khanh and Tu Chinh-Vung May basins, Vietnam has maintained normaloperations despite China ’s illegal disturbances many times invarious forms, including diplomatic intervention and direct sabotage inthe field using aircraft and ships of all kinds.
PetroVietnam has also affirmed that in the future, it will continue itsnormal operations in these areas as well as other regions within thecontinental shelf and exclusive economic zone of Vietnam.
Recently, India ’s ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL) has also revealed itsintention to go ahead with its plan to explore Lot 128 as part of itsagreement with PetroVietnam. Earlier, the OVL received permission toextend its contract over Lot 128 by two years, so that it could finishthe uncompleted work, delayed due to complex geographic and technicalconditions, regardless of the groundless and perverse rejection ofChina .
OVL leaders said by the time theextension expires in June 2014, the OVL wishes to further lengthen thecontract by one or two years to conclude its commitments stated in thecontract.
The question is why the Indian partnerhas decided to continue the work with China conducting illegal movesintensifying tension in the East Sea? The answer is simple. TheIndia firm is completely sure that the oil and gas lot is totallylocated within Vietnam’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zoneand continental shelf.
Last year, the Russianstate-run Gazprom Group signed a cooperation agreement with PetroVietnamto exploit gas in the East Sea , with Gazprom holding 49 percentof the project’s share.
The two sides haveconducted exploitation in lots 05-2 and 05-3 in the East Sea with atotal gas reserve of 55.6 billion cubic metres and 25.1 billion tonnesof condensate.
In response to China’s demandfor Gazprom to stop its exploitation activities in the East Sea, theForeign Ministry of Vietnam affirmed that the current joint projectsbetween Vietnam and its foreign partners in the field of oil and gas,including those with Gazprom, are conducted within Vietnam’s exclusiveeconomic zone and continental shelf and totally under the sovereigntyand jurisdiction right of Vietnam. The projects are in conformity withinternational law, especially UNCLOS 1982.
Vietnam commits to and bears all responsibilities of protecting thelegitimate rights and interest of foreign partners in Vietnam ,stated the ministry.
At the same time,international opinion has clearly shown to be in support of Vietnam inthe East Sea issue, with large-scale acknowledgement that Chinahas behaved wrongly in terms of both words and actions.
It can be confirmed that all exploration and exploitation of the oiland gas of Vietnam , as well as the country’s cooperation activitieswith its foreign partners, have been conducted legally in accordancewith international regulations and practices without facing anyobjection but the illegal disturbance from China .
All arguments against Vietnam ’s oil and gas exploration andexploitation arbitrarily given by China are totally ungrounded, whichis actually China ’s excuse for its illegal placement of its HaiyangShiyou-981 in the waters of Vietnam as part of its scheme tomonopolise the East Sea .
At the beginning of May, the ChinaNational Offshore Oil Corporation illegally dispatched and positionedthe rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. According to UNCLOS 1982,the location is deep inside Vietnam ’s waters.
Sincebeing illegally placed in Vietnam ’s waters, the oil rig continued tobe moved, but still deep into Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone andcontinental shelf.
According to Nguyen Hong Thao, formerDeputy Chairman of the National Boundary Commission under the ForeignMinistry, the rig location is about 130 nautical miles from theVietnamese coast and 119 nautical miles from Ly Son Island, in centralVietnam, and 17 and 103 nautical miles from Tri Ton Reef and Phu Lamisland, respectively, in Hoang Sa archipelago. It is also 182 nauticalmiles from China ’s Hainan coast.
As prescribed in UNCLOS1982, the area where China illegally stationed its rig is deep insidethe exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of Vietnam .
HoangSa is the archipelago Vietnam claimed sovereignty over in the 17thcentury, but China used force to occupy all the islands in 1974.International law bans the use of force and thus does not recogniseoccupation of a territorial area through the use of force. China in1996 declared a baseline for the archipelago, with Tri Ton reef beingthe farthest point to the southwest of this baseline. This claim facedglobal criticism due to the fact that the archipelago is being disputed.However, China insists that it has sovereignty over Hoang Sa (orXisha, as it calls it) without any dispute and refuses to talk.
Moreseriously, in July 2012, China declared the establishment of aso-called Sansha city with its headquarters in Phu Lam Islandwhich has control over the sea area in the so-called nine-dash linewhich accounts for 80 percent of the East Sea.
Under Article 121 (3) of the 1982-UNCLOS, reefs or rocks un ableto sustain human habitation or economic activities of its own like TriTon are not entitled to a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone andcontinental shelf. They can only have a 12 nautical mile territorialwater at most.
Vietnam will never accept these acts of China.-VNA
