Late President Tran Duc Luong: A close leader of Vietnam's oil and gas industry

(Chinhphu.vn) - The Vietnamese oil and gas industry will forever remember the image of a close, intimate leader who always had special feelings for generations of cadres and employees. That was the late President Tran Duc Luong. Throughout his years of work, no matter what position he held - from geologist, leader to head of state - he always paid deep attention to the development of the oil and gas industry, one of the country's key economic sectors.

Báo Chính Phủ•23/05/2025

Cố Chủ tịch nước Trần Đức Lương: Nhà lãnh đạo gần gũi của ngành dầu khí Việt Nam- Ảnh 1. — President Tran Duc Luong during a visit and work at BSR .

Strategic vision

As early as the late 1950s, when the North had just won peace and restored its post-war economy , President Ho Chi Minh made a trip to socialist countries with developed science and technology to establish cooperative relations. This was a strategic step to receive economic and technical assistance and human resource training for key economic sectors, including geology and oil and gas. Uncle Ho's trip not only created a foundation for the development of the oil and gas industry but also promoted the utilization of the country's mineral resources for the construction and development of a new economy.

At that time, Vietnam's geology and oil and gas industry had almost no formal staff and technology foundation. The assistance from the Soviet Union and socialist countries in training staff was considered the "first bricks" to build the foundation for Vietnam's oil and gas industry later. FormerPresident Tran Duc Luong was also one of the first students of the geological specialist training class organized by the Soviet Union . Since then, he and his colleagues have contributed to creating a generation of key cadres, continuing and developing the country's geology - oil and gas industry.

After the establishment of the geological sector, geological groups such as Group 20 (general geological research) and Group 36 (oil and gas exploration) were formed, marking the first step in professionalizing the work of mineral resource exploration. Group 36, with the role of focusing on oil and gas exploration, later separated and developed into the General Department of Oil and Gas, the predecessor of today's National Industry and Energy Group.

As the first Director General of the General Department of Geology, the late President Tran Duc Luong paid great attention to building and developing a team of professional staff, as well as gradually modernizing equipment and techniques in the industry. He deeply understood that, in order for the oil and gas industry to develop sustainably and meet the requirements of national construction, training high-quality human resources and applying advanced technology were extremely necessary. At the same time, he always emphasized the close coordination between state agencies, international partners and enterprises in exploiting and protecting oil and gas resources, in order to maximize the potential of the industry, while ensuring national interests and maintaining territorial sovereignty at sea. This close attention has contributed to guiding the oil and gas industry to gradually mature, becoming a key economic and technical sector of the country .

Not only was he a leader with a strategic vision, the late President Tran Duc Luong was also always close to each employee in the oil and gas industry. His intimate and simple images when he visited projects and construction sites, or when he met and directly encouraged each engineer and worker, have been deeply imprinted in the memories of many generations of workers.

He not only cares about work progress and production efficiency, but also understands the hardships and dangers of oil and gas workers - the "silent warriors" in the middle of the ocean. With a gentle smile and warm eyes, he always listens to their thoughts, shares their difficulties and encourages them with all his heart. It is this closeness and sincerity that has created a close bond, strong inspiration, helping the oil and gas industry overcome many challenges to develop more and more strongly.

Cố Chủ tịch nước Trần Đức Lương: Nhà lãnh đạo gần gũi của ngành dầu khí Việt Nam- Ảnh 2. — The late President Tran Duc Luong directly directed the investment in the construction of a gas pipeline system from Bach Ho field to shore, paving the way for the development of the Phu My Gas-Electricity-Fertilizer Industrial Cluster.

"Historical" decisions

In the 1990s, when he assumed the position of Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers, then Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the oil and gas industry, Mr. Tran Duc Luong directly directed and operated the industry in a new development period. This was the period when oil and gas rose to become the leading economic sector, contributing a large source of revenue to the national budget, especially from the successful exploitation of Bach Ho field through the Vietsovpetro joint venture - the result of effective cooperation between Vietnam and the Soviet Union (Russian Federation).

He once emphasized that the re-signing of the 1981 oil and gas cooperation agreement was an important turning point. This agreement transferred the role of joint venture leader from the Soviet Union to Vietnam, affirming our country's ownership and opening a period of strong development for the industry. This change not only brought great economic benefits - with Vietnam enjoying over 70% of the profits - but also helped the oil and gas industry mature significantly in terms of management and technology.

The late President Tran Duc Luong paid special attention and directly directed the decision to invest in the construction of a pipeline system to transport associated gas from Bach Ho field to shore - a strategic step in the development of the national oil and gas and energy industry. Previously, the processing of associated gas faced many technical and economic challenges, leading to the use of offshore gas flaring for a long time to ensure safety and stable production.

With careful research and determination, he boldly proposed a loan of 60 million USD from Japan to implement the gas pipeline project. This decision marked an important turning point, bringing the oil and gas industry into a new era, creating clean energy sources, protecting the environment and contributing to promoting economic development in the Southeast region. The success of the project paved the way for the development of the Phu My Gas-Electricity-Fertilizer Industrial Cluster, contributing to increasing electricity capacity and diversifying national energy sources.

The development of this industrial cluster not only helps diversify the national energy source but also creates a large electricity output, equivalent to the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant, contributing to reducing pressure on the national power system, especially supplying electricity to the southern provinces. This is also a clear demonstration of the far-sightedness and determination of him and the Party and State leaders.

One of the most important decisions of our Party, State as well as individuals The late President Tran Duc Luong decided to build the Dung Quat Oil Refinery . This was a carefully considered decision, from the bidding process to selecting investors to the selection of construction sites.

The carefully considered options include Long Son (Ba Ria - Vung Tau), Dung Quat (Quang Ngai) and Nghi Son (Thanh Hoa). After surveying and assessing the impact on traffic, environment and technical conditions, the Party and State leaders decided to choose Dung Quat as the site to build Vietnam's first oil refinery. This decision not only ensures economic efficiency but also demonstrates responsibility for environmental protection and sustainable development.

Through each stage of development of the oil and gas industry, the Party and State's steadfast and close leadership is clearly demonstrated through the role of leaders like Mr. Tran Duc Luong. From building the first generation of cadres, innovating the international cooperation model, investing in technology, to making important decisions on the industry's development strategy, all aim to maximize the potential of resources, contributing to enhancing Vietnam's economic position in the international arena.

The late President Tran Duc Luong was not only a leader with profound strategic vision but also a devoted and close companion of the Vietnamese oil and gas industry. Through each stage of development, from the initial steps of building the foundation to bold, historic decisions, he contributed to shaping the path of sustainable development for this key industry. His sentiments, contributions and marks will forever be engraved in the history of the industry's development - like a smoldering but persistent flame, empowering the next generations to firmly step on the path to conquer new heights .

Some pictures of the late President with the oil and gas industry: