The Conversation
iF: I saw a couple of videos where
you spoke about what you are doing.
I heard about the Alba Plant. Today
I wanted to start our interview out
kind of soft, so people will know more
about Equatorial Guinea. How long
has Equatorial Guinea been an inde-
pendent entity?
Mbaga:
49 years. October will
be the 50th anniversary, so we have
been independent for 49 years. We
are working to celebrate with all
our friends. Our country has gone
through a process to be come fully
developed. We are heavily the oil and
gas price has affected us, but we re-
main strong.
iF: Okay. Bravo! So how did you
become interested in what you do?
Was it personal? Was it energy? Or
was it just politics?
Mbaga:
Well, you know, I went to
school in the States.
iF: You did. Where?
Mbaga: Michigan. I
then, I have been Secretary of State,
Deputy. Vice Minister, Delegate and
now Minister of Mines and Hydro-
carbons.
iF: Wow! What a gamut of career!
Mbaga: Well, I know my business
very well.
iF: You know, it is not part of the
interview, but I think it is fabulous
that people will study and go back to
their homeland and give that knowl-
edge to their home. I think it is very
admirable and awesome.
Mbaga:
doing.
That is what I have been
We were able to build an energy
plant. And what we like to call today
the “Punta Europa” gas. So that was
really the project that put Equatorial
Guinea on the map. And we do be-
lieve that the project still has a lot of
life. So that is why we insisted that
the drilling must continue so that
production can continue. Now we
are conscious of the revolution of
shale gas in the States. So that is why
a lot of those U. S. Companies have
invested more here than in the U.S.
We are in that fight between there
and here. We do believe that a new
generation is coming that will con-
tinue with this exploration. If it is
with the same company, that is good.
If it is someone else, that is good too.
iF: What I wanted to ask is related iF: That kind of leads to my next
Mbaga: Mbaga:
to that. In one speech I looked at, you
were talking about the Alba Plant and
drilling. As Minister of Mines, do you
feel that drilling off shore is more ben-
eficial economically than developing
land resources? Are you working both?
What I do believe is the
reality
is
that
the Alba Plant has been
went to a
an
important
project for the devel-
private college, and I was to go back
and do my Masters. The representa- opment of the country. It was really
tive told me, I will call you tomorrow. the project that opened Equatorial
So that night, they signed a decree Guinea for business. And from that
making me a Presidential Advisor, reservoir on that field, Alba, we were
so I could not return to do my Mas- able to build a gas generated plant.
ters, and that was 18 years ago. Since We were able to build a metal plant.
question. We are a business-oriented
magazine. A lot of investors and
people involved in business read us.
They are going to be interested. What
opportunities are there for outsiders to
work with Equatorial Guinea?
I think there are still a
lot of great opportunities for every-
body. I will tell you my feeling on
this industry is that, and this affects
a lot of Houston and Texas. A lot of
the Houstonians have been trained
at work, and all of them have been
trained in conventional oil. . . and not
in the shale oil.
iF Magazine | www.iFMagazine.net
49