Company committed to aiding community

 TALISMAN Energy vice-president Grant Christie says Repsol is committed to ensuring that communities in Western benefit from oil and gas projects in the province.

Christie said with the development of projects such as the Stanley Gas condensate, there would be business and job opportunities. 

And the company, as part of its social responsibility, has programmes to allow affected people to take advantage of it especially through agriculture.

“We’ve brought in people who are specialists in agriculture in this environment and teaching the villagers on how to work their land,” he said.

“We normally used to fly in more than three and a half tonnes of groceries a week, mostly fresh vegetables and produce.

“We were able to replace that, supplemented by local farmers, who we were teaching what would grow and how to grow things.

“Separate markets were set up around our bases and we are now buying the produce off the locals especially the women.

“We set these up as businesses so that the revenue goes back into the communities, to our children and their education. 

“We are teaching them how to open bank accounts and to save their money.”