Examining The Regulatory Frameworks For The Oil And Gas Industry In Sudan

Oil and gas industry has been considered as one of the leading industries in supporting corporate social responsibility (CSR), however, this industry is also known for being big emitters and polluters of the environment. Oil and gas industry in Sudan is of no exception of their counterparts around the world. This paper aims to investigate whether the regulatory frameworks in Sudan might drive oil and gas companies to be environmentally and socially responsible. The main findings of the paper are as follows. The legal frameworks in this area are not updated and many emerging items needed to be covered, such as those pertaining to environmental issues resulting from offshore exploration(s). Moreover, there is a lack of coordination and cooperation between the concerned governmental institutions that might be due to the confusions over their respective responsibilities. These institutions are under-employed and lack the capacity building to perform their responsibilities effectively and efficiently. Furthermore, there is a limited participation of the local community in the decision making process of petroleum development in Sudan. Finally, it was found that the big sizes of the concession blocks in Sudan make it difficult for the authorities to control and monitor the operations of the companies in terms of their effects to the environment and the local community.