Plans to transform the east African oil sector by building a pipeline from south Sudan to the Kenyan coast were boosted yesterday when a Japanese company expressed interest in joining the project.
修建一条从南苏丹通往肯尼亚沿海的输油管道的计划将使东非的石油行业大为改观，而昨天一家日本公司表示有意参与这项计划，又大力推动了这项计划。
Toyota Tsusho, the trading arm of the Japanese carmaker, said it was developing plans to build the $1.5bn pipeline, which would run for 1,400km from Juba, the capital of south Sudan, to the Kenyan island of Lamu, where an oil export terminal would be constructed.
日本汽车制造商丰田旗下的贸易公司丰田通商(Toyota Tsusho)表示，正在制定计划修建总投资15亿美元的输油管道。管道始于南苏丹首府朱巴，终点是肯尼亚的拉穆岛，全长1400公里，在拉穆岛还将建设一个石油出口终端。
The project would be the boldest yet by a Japanese company in Africa. China has also been studying the proposed pipeline and Toyota Tshusho said that co-operation with Beijing was possible.
该项目将成为日本公司迄今为止在非洲最大胆的投资项目。中国也一直在研究该管道计划，而丰田通商表示有可能与中国政府展开合作。
The geopolitics of east Africa could be reshaped in January, when south Sudan will hold a referendum on independence. If it chooses to secede, a new country will emerge with about three-quarters of all the oil presently possessed by Sudan.
东非的地缘政治很可能在明年1月发生改变，届时南苏丹将就是否独立举行公民投票。如果其选择脱离苏丹独立，一个新国家将由此产生，它将拥有目前苏丹四分之三左右的石油储量。
At present, the oil is exported via pipelines leading through northern Sudan to an export facility on the Red Sea. The government of the semi-autonomous south wants the new pipeline to reduce its dependence on the north and to create an export route via Kenya.
目前，出口石油都通过管道穿过北苏丹运往红海沿岸的一个出口设施。半自治的南苏丹政府希望新管道能够减少自己对北部的依赖，并开通一条经由肯尼亚的新出口路线。
Takashi Hattori, a Toyota Tsusho executive, said the company's plans were preliminary but that the goal was to build a pipeline with a capacity of 450,000 barrels a day, and an export terminal, the ownership of both of which would revert to Kenya after 20 years.
丰田通商的高管服部孝(Takashi Hattori)表示，公司的计划还处于初步阶段，但目标是建设一条日运输量达45万桶的输油管道以及一座出口终端，20年后两者的所有权都将转交给肯尼亚政府。
Mr Hattori said: “Of course, we need to discuss with the governments. But this is to show our intention to be involved.”
服部孝说：“当然，我们需要与各方政府进行讨论。但这是为了表示我们愿意参与其中。”
Japan is the only big industrialised country that buys Sudanese oil, receiving 2 per cent of the country's petroleum exports in the first half of last year.
日本是唯一购买苏丹石油的大型工业化国家，去年上半年获得了该国2%的出口石油。
But the China National Petroleum Corporation, a state-owned company, has the largest foreign stake in Sudan's oil industry and Beijing received 79 per cent of Sudan's petroleum exports in the same period.
但中国国企中国石油天然气集团公司(CNPC)在苏丹石油行业持有的外资股权最高，去年上半年苏丹79%的出口石油都销往中国。
China has also expressed interest in the pipeline through Kenya and Mr Hattori has opened the door to possible co-operation with Japan. He said: “Maybe to collaborate with a Chinese company would be one of the options. We'd like to study any possible scheme further with the Kenyan government and the Sudanese government.”
中国同样对穿越肯尼亚的输油管道表示了兴趣，而服部孝也敞开了中日合作的大门。他表示：“或许与中国企业合作将成为选择之一。我们希望与肯尼亚政府以及苏丹政府进一步研究所有可能方案。”
Mr Hattori added that a “key success factor” would be securing finance from the Japan Bank for International Co-operation.
服部孝补充称，“成功的一个关键因素”，是获得日本国际合作银行(Japan Bank for International Co-operation)的融资。
But Dennis Awori, the head of Toyota East Africa, said: “Everything is subject to very thorough feasibility studies, not to mention agreements with governments.”
但丰田东非业务主管丹尼斯•阿沃里(Dennis Awori)称：“一切都需经过非常彻底的可行性研究，更不用说要与政府达成协议。”
If south Sudan achieves independence, the views of its government on who should build the pipeline will be crucial. “It's all academic until we know what the south Sudanese want,” said David Raad, a business consultant in Juba. He added: “All the parties involved will be looking at the expertise, the resources and the intensity of proposals being made.”
如果南苏丹获得独立，对于由谁来建设输油管道，其政府的观点将是关键所在。“在我们知道南苏丹的意愿之前，一切都只是口头说说而已，”朱巴的一位商业顾问戴维•拉德(David Raad)表示。他又补充道：“有关各方都将关注于提案的专家意见、资源以及工作强度。”
Kenya supports the proposed pipeline as a way to bring development to its northern territories. The Toyota Tshusho executives were briefing the press in the office of Raila Odinga, the Kenyan prime minister, who visited Japan last month to discuss the pipeline and other investment opportunities.
肯尼亚对修建管道提议表示支持，将其看作促进北部地区发展的一种途径。丰田通商的高管们是在肯尼亚总理拉伊拉•奥廷加(Raila Odinga)的办公室举行新闻发布会的。拉伊拉•奥廷加上个月访问了日本，就该输油管道以及其它投资机会与日本方面进行了商谈。
Japanese diplomats acknowledge that, in common with China, securing oil and other natural resources in Africa is one of their main objectives.
日本外交官员承认，与中国一样，在非洲获取石油及其它自然资源是日本外交的主要目标之一。
译者/何黎（来源：FT中文网）
