TCI president, Bruce Munro, was - understandably - ecstatic at the news. In a press conference held recently Munro exclaimed, "The contract [is] an important milestone as it [is a] major multi-disciplinary oil and gas project."

"The two-year contract [covers] construction and maintenance work such as the building of oil well drilling rigs, distribution pipeline installation, steam injection pipeline installation, oil well pump installation and control system," added Munro.

The TCI president also mentioned that - despite this being a coup for his company - he feels that the people living in the concession areas would also stand to benefit from this contract.

"The two-year contract also [covers] power supply for remote oil fields, construction of new roads and maintenance and care of existing ones, bioremediation of contaminated land, routine maintenance of heat changers and oil storage tanks, as well as their disposal systems. Therefore, all these types of work would need fresh employees and personnel with most of whom to be recruited from the people living in the concession areas," said Munro.

The Duri and Minas oil fields cover an area of around 3,000 square km has varied geographical and environmental conditions.