State President visits oil and gas staff in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu ahead of Tết

State President Võ Văn Thưởng visited the central drilling rig of the Cửu Long Joint Operating Company on Friday. VNA/VNS Photo

BÀ RỊA-VŨNG TÀU — State President Võ Văn Thưởng visited the central drilling rig of the Cửu Long Joint Operating Company (Cửu Long JOC), offering New Year wishes to its officials and engineers representing the 60,000-strong staff in the entire oil and gas industry on Friday.

Since its establishment in 1998 in the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, the Cửu Long JOC has so far pumped more than 415 million barrels of oil, generating a total revenue of more than US$30 billion. This outstanding performance has translated into a contribution of nearly $14 billion to the State budget, solidifying its standing as Việt Nam’s second-largest oil contractor.

President Thưởng said he is delighted to witness the company’s remarkable growth. Beginning with a modest 31 personnel, the rig now boasts a team of 350 officials, engineers, and workers, with 94 per cent of them being Vietnamese.

Commending the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) for overfulfilling its financial and production targets ahead of schedule, Thưởng said he highly valued their substantial revenue of nearly VNĐ1 quadrillion ($41.6 billion) last year.

The success of collaborative endeavors like Cửu Long JOC serves as a beacon of international cooperation, delivering significant national benefits, fostering confidence among foreign partners and crucially contributing to the upskilling of the industry’s workforce, he stressed.

The leader urged officials, Party members, and employees of Petrovietnam to deeply understand the intrinsic link between economic development and ensuring national defence and security.

As the Tết (Lunar New Year) draws near, he directed leaders of Cửu Long JOC and drilling rigs to prioritise the well-being of workers, ensuring a joyous and warm Tết holiday for all.

In the morning the same day, the President visited and delivered gifts to the PTSC port of the PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation, a unit established in 1993 that specialises in providing essential services for the energy and oil and gas sectors. — VNS