PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Mines and Energy has issued a clarification refuting reports by some media outlets that Guanzun Energy Investment plans to invest in a US$3.5 billion oil refinery project in Kampot province.
The April 30 notification was in response to widespread local reporting that the Chinese company intended to establish a refinery with the capacity of processing 10 million tonnes of oil per year on approximately 234 hectares of land in Kampot province.
An April 4 report on National Television of Kampuchea (TVK) stated that the project would take three years to complete. The first phase would involve constructing a refinery capable of processing 5 million tonnes of oil per annum, with an investment of approximately $2.6 billion and a construction period of 18 months. The second phase would require an additional 18 months to complete the project.
On April 5, representatives of the company met with Kampot provincial governor Mao Thonin to discuss the project and seek permission to “conduct a geographical survey in Kampot province for the construction of an oil refinery”, according to a statement from the Kampot provincial administration.
The ministry clarified, however: “The aforementioned company has not yet received approval from the Royal Government of Cambodia to proceed with this investment project.”
The ministry urged the public to stop sharing information it considered “untrue”.
Guanzun Energy Investment was registered with the Ministry of Commerce in August 2024, according to the ministry’s search directory. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
