When oil declines, who will remember what it left behind?

Oil has sustained Gabon for decades. It contributed to our economy, developed regions, created jobs, and shaped part of our history.

But every industrial history also leaves traces.

Today, Gabonese oil production is declining. Fields are aging, certain assets are reaching the end of their lifespan, and investments are gradually becoming more selective.

At the same time, environmental practices have evolved considerably. The companies operating in Gabon today possess far more advanced standards, technologies, and skills than in the past. These advances must be recognized and encouraged.

Yet one question remains:

what happens to the environmental legacy of past decades?

Because changing practices does not make the past disappear.

Facilities age, certain sites cease operations, infrastructure becomes obsolete, and, over time, some traces of industrial activity can fade from the landscape and from our memory.

The risk would then be that the gradual decline in production leads, almost naturally, to a decline in attention given to what no longer generates revenue.

Yet, it is perhaps precisely when activity slows down that vigilance must remain the strongest.

Environmental responsibility should not end when a facility stops producing. What was exploited yesterday must be capable of being monitored, documented, and, where necessary, rehabilitated.

This is not about blaming today’s companies for yesterday’s practices. It would be unfair to overlook the progress made by an industry that has itself evolved considerably.

Rather, it is about not letting time erase our environmental memory.

Do we really know what we have left behind?

Which assets are still being monitored? Which sites have been rehabilitated? Which ones still require special attention? Where is the information needed to trace this history?

These questions deserve to be asked calmly, in a spirit of responsibility.

Companies have their role to play. The State must preserve the memory, data, and resources needed to protect the national heritage. Finally, citizens have the right to understand what is happening on their land.

It is therefore not about pitting one against the other, but ensuring that everyone can shoulder their share of responsibility.

Because the environment belongs neither to corporations, nor to the administration, nor to any single generation.

It belongs to everyone.

Gabon is entering a new chapter in its oil history. Production may decline, stakeholders may change, facilities may disappear.

But our responsibility should not disappear with them.

Oil may fade away. The traces remain. It is up to us not to let them become the forgotten legacy of our children.