“Africa’s Heart of Death”, Chad's long-standing military turmoil has trapped itself in poverty, food shortages, disease, and lack of basic education resources. In 2006, CPC completed the acquisition of 30,000 square kilometers of mining area and its exploration exclusivity in Chad. When the exploration team members came to Chad, they found that up to 52% of the local population had no clean drinkable water and only 2% had access to basic sanitation. In view of the above, in addition to driving the local economic development and increasing employment opportunities through exploration undertaking, CPC performed its corporate social responsibility by building roads and schools, procuring clean water resources, and providing medical services. The wells can wash away the poverty for Chadian children, and the roads will guide the Chadian people to civilization.
By 2021, 18 wells were constructed to facilitate water intake, benefiting more than 8-thousand residents. Saving time fetching water helps woman invest in more economically valuable activities and children can invest time in education.
CPC provided free clinic services, allowing the disadvantaged to enjoy healthy lifestyle. There were 2,180 patients received diagnosis and treatment to relieve local long-term medical needs and helps establish a correct hygiene concept. Moreover, CPC assisted two sick children in Chad to seek medical treatment in Taiwan and gave their smiles back.
After three years of exploration, CPC succeeded in obtaining crude oil in 2010, and for the next 10 years, even after the turmoil of war and terrorist attacks, the local employees remained steadfast in the CPC's headquarters during the civil war. After completing seismic survey and exploration, CPC successively discovered new crude oil reservoirs with mining potential. In 2017, Oryx Oilfield in Chad was granted the development and production license, starting its 25-year development and production period. CPC completed base construction, ground equipment and pipeline installations, and drilling engineering. With the assistance of Chad's employees and partners, the first barrel of crude oil was produced and delivered to Taiwan in 2020 and that is after many challenges were overcome. It is milestone for CPC's overseas investment and exploration, demonstrating "go fast, go alone, go far, go together“ mindset. CPC will continue to work with Chadian residents on the right path.
While seeking the best interests of stakeholders from business operations, CPC also recognizes the impact of its operations. Before obtaining the development license or land acquisition CPC will first assess the impact of the project on air, water, soil, and vegetation, ensuring that the environmental impact is reduced to the minimum extent possible. CPC usually obtains the consent from the clan chiefs upon negotiation with them by utilizing the local community relation (CR). At the same time, it should follow the religious folklore of Chad. Before starting the project, local priests shall be requested to perform rituals. When employing local employees, various religious customs such as regular worship during working hours shall be allowed.
According to statistics, about half of the students drop out of school before entering Grade 4 in primary schools. The children who are lucky enough to continue their studies are sitting in the classrooms floor filled with sand and dust. On the top of their heads is thatched roof. CPC provides soft and hard learning resources and materials, as well as prizes for excellent students. CPC makes efforts to strengthen the willingness to learn of the students and the parents. In response to the UN's sustainable goals, CPC is committed to change the destinies of the poorest children in the world by means of education.
The access road in the Oryx Oilfield is based on local roads and extends from the equipment area of the CPC to the adjacent airport, with a total length of about 83 kilometers. This access road is open to residents and will be converted to the property of Chad after the expiration of the development contract. CPC's road maintenance project in 2021 cost about NT$22.5 million, and a total of 68 kilometers of road reinforcement and maintenance was completed. In addition, during the period, the existing local rural roads that crossed many places were filled with soil, compacted, and improved in drainage.