forced their way into the Park, resulting in the conservation head of the park and several international agencies declaring their intention to bring lawsuits against SOCO. SOCO's share price subsequently fell. SOCO's Deputy Chief Executive Officer Roger Cagle said at the time that "The forcible entry is blatantly false." Cagle said SOCO was with a provincial member of parliament and had permission to enter the park. In March 2011 the then DRC Environment Minister Jose Endundo rejected an environmental assessment submitted by SOCO and announced that the government would now be conducting its own environmental assessment into oil exploration in Virunga, as well as the entire border region. Nevertheless, in September 2011 former Minister Endundo passed an order giving SOCO the authorisation to conduct the evaluation of hydrocarbons in the context of the Strategic Environmental Evaluation. In June 2014, SOCO signed a joint declaration with the World Wildlife Fund, saying it would not drill in Virunga "unless UNESCO and the D.R.C. government agree that such activities are not incompatible with its World Heritage status". However, SOCO did not immediately relinquish its operating permits or commit to an unconditional withdrawal..."They’re leaving the door open," said Zach Abraham, director of the World Wildlife Fund's global campaigns. They at the time supposedly told the government they were planning to stay in the hope that the park borders would be changed. In a statement, Ed Story, SOCO's chief executive in 2017, said: “Hopefully we can all get back to activities focused on both people and the environment where it does the most good for a place that we think can have a better future.” By July 2018, the group no longer held any African investments besides Egypt. Asia Mongolia In 2005, the company sold its Mongolian assets to PetroChina Subsidiary, Daqing Oilfield Limited Company. Thailand SOCO began the first production of oil from the Bualuang Oil Field in Thailand in 2008. In 2010 the company agreed to sell its Thailand assets to UK listed Salamander Energy for $US105m. References External links www.pharos.energy Oil and gas companies of the United Kingdom Companies based in the City of Westminster Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange Non-renewable resource companies established in 1991 1991 establishments in England