yemen news today
With both nexen and now total saying that they will increase oil production by 10000 bod in yemen and now peace in the north - what is wrong with Calvalley?
Yemen, Total Group discuss cooperation relations
[10/February/2010]
SANA'A,Feb.10 (Saba) - Prime Minister met here on Wednesday with Deputy Chiefof Exploration for the Middle East Affairs at Total Group Company.
Thetwo sides discussed the cooperation relations between our country andthe group in the oil and gas areas, and their coming directions underthe distinct partnership between them.
The Total's officialbriefed the premier on the operations carried out by the company in thefields of exploration, production and oil and gas development as wellas the positive indexes in these fields.
The company isseeking to increase its daily production of oil in Block 10 to 70,000barrels by end of this year with an increase of 10,000 barrels from thepresent production, the Total's official pointed out.
Hevoiced his comfort for the progress in the Yemen Liquefied Natural Gas(YLNG) project, especially with regard to the second production train,noting that the company's efforts to build a strong strategicpartnership with Yemen in the gas investment area, so as to serve thesocioeconomic development process in Yemen.
Mujawar expressedhis appreciation for all exploratory and developing operationsimplemented by the company in its concession areas, includingutilization of the accompanying gas to produce electricity.
Heaffirmed the government's support and encouragement to the company inits trends to expand and increase the size of its investment activityin the oil and gas fields in Yemen.
The premier pointed outthe successful partnership achieved between the two sides through theYLNG Company and its role in serving the national economy.
BA
Yemen truce with rebels 'imminent': government official
By Hammoud Mounassar(AFP)–6 hours ago
SANAA — The Yemeni government and Shiite rebels are close toreaching a deal to end six months of fighting after the rebels agreedto six government conditions, an official said on Wednesday.
"Anagreement between the government and the Huthi (rebels) to end the waris imminent," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, toldAFP.
He said the development comes "in the light of (rebel leaderAbdul Malak) al-Huthi's acceptance of the six conditions," put forwardby the Sanaa government, which include a recently added condition topledge not to attack neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
A mediator closeto the rebels said Huthi had agreed to "withdraw from the borders (withSaudi Arabia) and hand the area over to the Yemeni army."
Therebels have been fighting Yemeni troops since 2004 but they becameengaged on a new front with Saudi Arabia in November followingaccusations they had killed a border guard and occupied two smallvillages.
The mediator said Huthi had also agreed that the rebelswould "remove roadblocks ... vacate government buildings and hand Saudiprisoners over to the Yemeni government."
A committee includinggovernment and rebel representatives would be formed with the task of"establishing peace, and collecting heavy weapons from the Huthis," hetold AFP.
It would also "follow up the issue of prisoners and compensation for those affected by the war," he added.
OnSaturday, the government set a timetable for the rebels to implementits terms for a ceasefire in the six-year-old uprising in the northernmountains, where fighting escalated after the army launched an all-outoffensive in August.
At the end of last month, the rebels offered to accept the five conditions originally set by the government for a ceasefire.
Thosewere a withdrawal from government buildings, reopening of roads in thenorth, return of weapons seized from security services, freeing of allprisoners, including Saudis, and abandoning military posts in themountains.
But the government rejected the offer, saying therebels also needed to accept a sixth key condition -- a promise to stopattacking Saudi territory.
The rebels say they have withdrawnfrom all of the Saudi territory they had occupied but are continuing tocome under Saudi attack inside Yemen.
They said last Thursday that Saudi air raids had killed 14 people, including women and children.
The rebels killed 23 soldiers in twin attacks in the northern mountains on Friday, according to tribal and rebel sources.
Thegovernment's truce offer came as a Yemeni court handed down a 15-yearjail sentence against the fugitive brother of rebel leader Huthi onSaturday after convicting him of acts of terror.
The court foundYahia al-Huthi guilty in absentia of plotting the murders of seniorfigures, including the US ambassador in Sanaa.
Huthi, who hasfled to Germany, was elected to parliament in 2003 on the ticket of theruling General People's Congress of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, buthis parliamentary immunity was lifted late last year.
An offshootof Shiite Islam, the Zaidis form the majority community in the northbut are a minority in mainly Sunni Yemen. The president is himself aZaidi.
There has been no reliable death toll from the fighting and reporters have been barred from the war zone.
Anend to the fighting will spell some relief for the government, which isalso battling Al-Qaeda loyalists and is facing separatist sentiment inthe south.
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