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Viewing cable 08MANAGUA460, NICARAGUA: MKJ SIGNS OIL EXPLORATION AGREEMENTS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08MANAGUA460 2008-04-15 21:27 2011-06-23 08:00 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Managua
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #0460/01 1062127
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 152127Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2447
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1251
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUMIAAA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 000460 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CEN, WHA/EPSC, EEB/CBA, EEB/IEC 
STATE PASS TO OPIC 
USDOC FOR 4332/ITA/MAC/WH/MSIEGELMAN 
SAN SALVADOR FOR MMCGEE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2018 
TAGS: EPET ENRG EINV ECON PREL NU
SUBJECT: NICARAGUA: MKJ SIGNS OIL EXPLORATION AGREEMENTS 
WITH THE GOVERNMENT (AGAIN), INFINITY STILL ON HOLD 
 
REF: A. 07 MANAGUA 01217 
     B. MANAGUA 00185 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul Trivelli, Reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d) 
 
1. (C) Summary. President of MKJ Eric Conrad and Nicaraguan 
Attorney General Hernan Estrada signed oil and gas 
exploration and production concession agreements for two 
offshore blocks located 60 miles off the coast of Nicaragua 
in the Caribbean Sea on April 8.  The agreements are 
essentially identical to those signed by the previous 
administration, but declared void by the Supreme Court for 
lack of consultation with the local governments of the 
Autonomous Region of the North Atlantic (RAAN) and the 
Autonomous Region of the South Atlantic (RAAS).  MKJ has 
agreed to sell the two blocks to Noble Energy of Houston, 
Texas in the near future.  Infinity Energy Resources awaits 
the outcome of Ministry of Energy and Mines consultations 
with RAAN and RAAS authorities on two other offshore 
concessions that the Supreme Court declared void for similar 
reasons.  End summary. 
 
2. (C) On April 8, President of Louisiana-based independent 
oil company MKJ Eric Conrad and Nicaraguan Attorney General 
Hernan Estrada signed oil and gas exploration and production 
concession agreements for two offshore blocks located 60 
miles off the coast of Nicaragua in the Caribbean Sea.  The 
agreements are essentially identical to those signed by the 
previous administration, but declared void by the Supreme 
Court for lack of consultation with the governments of the 
Autonomous Region of the North Atlantic (RAAN) and the 
Autonomous Region of the South Atlantic (RAAS).  MKJ did make 
minor adjustments to align the revenue sharing portions 
allotted to each autonomous region and provide some 
additional funding to the Ministry of Energy and Mines for 
training. 
 
Signing Ceremony in the Midst of RAAN Turmoil 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) The Attorney General's office sought to limit press 
coverage to the signing ceremony to avoid questions about the 
political turmoil in the RAAN.  Citizens there took to the 
streets -- and violence erupted -- after the Supreme 
Electoral Council announced that it would postpone elections 
scheduled for November in three municipalities.  No one from 
the RAAN attended the ceremony.  However, Minister of Energy 
and Mines Emilio Rappaccioli showed, as did representatives 
of the Southern Atlantic region, MKJ partner Noble Energy, 
and the Ambassador. 
 
MKJ to Sell Rights to Noble Energy 
---------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) MKJ plans to transfer its rights to partner Noble 
Energy in the near future.  If the government does not 
approve the consignment of concession rights to Noble Energy, 
Noble Energy may simply acquire MKJ.  Internationally, Noble 
Energy currently manages oil and/or gas projects in 
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Israel, the 
Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea, and Suriname. 
 
5. (C) The two blocks, named the Tyra Bank and the Isabel 
Bank, each cover approximately 400,000 hectares in water 
depths of between 50 meters and at least 1000 meters.  To 
date, no exploration has been undertaken within these blocks 
and only limited seismic data exists.  Noble Energy will 
perform an environmental impact study before conducting 
seismic studies and a geophysical analysis to determine 
whether an exploratory well and/or a drilling plan is 
justified. 
 
Satisfying the Supreme Court Ruling 
----------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) The "new" concessions are the result of a 2006 Supreme 
Court ruling (prompted by an FSLN-inspired legal complaint) 
that the government should have consulted the RAAN and the 
RAAS before concluding the original concessions, despite the 
fact that both concession blocks fall outside the 33-mile 
territorial waters granted to the autonomous regions by the 
Nicaraguan constitution.  MKJ originally won the concessions 
as the result of an international tender in 2003.  In 2004, 
MKJ signed concession agreements for a six-year primary 
exploration period followed by a thirty-year production 
period.  The concessions that MKJ signed on April 8, 2008, 
refresh the clock for both of these periods. 
 
Renegotiations Sandinista Style 
------------------------------- 
 
7. (C) At one point in the renegotiation of the concession, 
President Ortega pressed MKJ to meet with representatives of 
Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) to discuss possible 
collaboration on the project.  MKJ had little desire to do 
so, since partner Noble Energy brings all the capital, 
technology, and production capabilities needed to pursue the 
project.  Nevertheless, Rappaccioli organized several 
meetings with PDVSA, only to have PDVSA fail to show.  At 
Ortega's personal request, MKJ representatives flew to 
Caracas to meet with PDVSA.  In Caracas, PDVSA confirmed 
that, indeed, it had no interest in MKJ's project and the 
Nicaraguans soon dropped the issue. 
 
8. (C) At another point in the consultation process, the 
Ministry of Energy and Mines requested that MKJ fund expenses 
for the RAAN and RAAS councils to conduct an extraordinary 
session to review the concessions.  Nicaraguan law provides 
for such a request, as long as funding is not contingent upon 
a favorable decision.  MKJ notified the Embassy and the 
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (its political risk 
insurer) of the Ministry's request in advance.  In the end, 
the Ministry organized the extraordinary sessions, where it 
presented MKJ's proposed concession agreements.  MKJ did not 
attend.  The governing councils of the RAAN and the RAAS 
approved the concessions. 
 
Infinity Energy Resources Still on Hold 
--------------------------------------- 
 
9. (C) Kansas based Infinity Energy Resources participated in 
the same 2003 tender and signed an exploration and production 
agreement for two offshore concessions adjacent to MKJ's. 
The Supreme Court ruled that Infinity Energy Resources 
concessions were invalid for the same reason as MKJ's. 
Infinity awaits the outcome of Ministry of Energy and Mines 
consultations with the RAAN and the RAAS.  Neither MKJ nor 
Infinity is affected by the ongoing dispute over territorial 
waters between Nicaragua and Columbia that is before the 
International Court of Justice (Ref B). 
 
10. (C) In general, Infinity has benefited from having MKJ 
work through many issues with the government and the 
governing councils of the RAAN and the RAAS.  Infinity has 
received no pressure, for example, to include PDVSA as a 
partner.  However, Infinity and the Ministry of Energy and 
Mines must explain fundamental differences to the RAAN and 
RAAS governing councils between its concessions and MKJ's 
concessions.  At the same time, politics are getting in the 
way. 
 
11. (C) Earlier in 2008, President Ortega insisted that 
Sandinista political operative Lumberto Campbell be 
Infinity's point person for gaining approval from the RAAN 
and the RAAS governing councils, replacing a well-known and 
popular representative from the indigenous population.  This 
switch clearly upset Campbell's opponents, as both the RAAN 
and the RAAS governing councils made a point of failing to 
approve Infinity's concessions.  Ongoing political turmoil in 
the RAAN over the government's postponement of elections in 
three important municipalities threatens to make the growing 
divide within the RAAN governing council insurmountable for 
Infinity and the Ministry of Energy and Mines in the near 
term.  The RAAS governing council has generally supported 
both MKJ and Infinity's projects, but its approval cannot be 
taken for granted in the current politically charged 
environment. 
 
Nicaraguan Interest in OPIC Housing Finance 
------------------------------------------- 
 
12. (C) Both MKJ and Infinity are political risk insurance 
clients of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation 
(OPIC).  OPIC President and CEO Robert Mosbacher visited 
Nicaragua on several occasions during the past year to 
encourage reinstituting these concession agreements and to 
advance OPIC programs.  President Ortega has expressed strong 
interest in OPIC financing and development programs to help 
low-income Nicaraguans own their own home.  OPIC has 
indicated its willingness to consider such programs as soon 
as oil exploration concessions have been restored. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
13. (C) MKJ's path to its concession has been lengthy and 
tortuous.  Nonetheless, the way is now clear for MKJ and/or 
Noble Energy to undertake serious exploration for oil and/or 
gas.  We expect that Infinity will eventually sign a new 
concession as well.  The Government of Nicaragua has made the 
process painful, but in this case at least, it has done the 
minimum necessary to let an international investment go 
forward. 
TRIVELLI