Publications
Publications
- October 2001 (Revised March 2006)
- HBS Case Collection
Chad-Cameroon Petroleum Development and Pipeline Project (A), The
By: Benjamin C. Esty and Carrie Ferman
Abstract
On June 6, 2000, the World Bank's and IFC's board of directors was scheduled to vote on whether to approve funding for the $4 billion Chad-Cameroon Petroleum Development and Pipeline project. Although the project presented a unique opportunity to alleviate poverty in Chad, one of the poorest countries in the world, Chad had a president who had been labeled "warlord" and a history of civil war and oppression. This case describes the project, the setting, and the World Bank's reasons for participating in the deal--mainly an opportunity to alleviate poverty, enforce environmental standards, and minimize the impact on indigenous people. It also describes the very public and very ardent opposition to the project's environmental, social, and revenue management policies. Faced with a high-risk, but potentially high-return opportunity to improve conditions in Chad, students, as the directors, must decide whether to approve funding for the deal.
Keywords
Risk Management; Negotiation; Ethics; Social Issues; Economic Sectors; Investment; Cost vs Benefits; Project Finance; Developing Countries and Economies; Corporate Finance; Mining Industry; Chad; Cameroon
Citation
Esty, Benjamin C., and Carrie Ferman. "Chad-Cameroon Petroleum Development and Pipeline Project (A), The." Harvard Business School Case 202-010, October 2001. (Revised March 2006.)