ɪn mˈɑːɹtʃ tˈuː θˈaʊzənd ɪlˈɛvən ðə ðˈɛn dˌiːˌɑːɹsˈiː ɛnvˈaɪɹənmənt mˈɪnɪstɚ hoʊsˈeɪ ɛndˈʌndoʊ ɹᵻdʒˈɛktᵻd ɐn ɛnvˌaɪɹənmˈɛntəl ɐsˈɛsmənt səbmˈɪɾᵻd baɪ sˈoʊkoʊ ænd ɐnˈaʊnst ðætðə ɡˈʌvɚnmənt wʊd nˈaʊ biː kəndˈʌktɪŋ ɪts ˈoʊn ɛnvˌaɪɹənmˈɛntəl ɐsˈɛsmənt ˌɪntʊ ˈɔɪl ɛksploːɹˈeɪʃən ɪn vˈɜːɹʌŋɡə, æz wˈɛl æz ðɪ ɛntˈaɪɚ bˈoːɹdɚ ɹˈiːdʒən.
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.