Somalia: Somaliland, Asante Oil Move Forward With Drilling Plans
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Garowe Online (Garowe)
25 August 2008
Posted to the web 25 August 2008
Rashid Nur
Hargeisa
A high-level delegation from UK-based oil company Asante Oil arrived in Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland on August 20, where they were welcomed by Ministry of Water and Minerals officials at Hargeisa's Egal International Airport.
The Norwegian delegation, which started an official five-day visit to Somaliland, was received at the airport by the Ministry's Director-General, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim Sultan.
Mr. Sultan briefly explained that the Asante Oil delegation came to finalize a work program with the Ministry and to complete outstanding details in the oil exploration agreement, which the Norwegian firm signed in May.
Asante Oil has been licensed by the Ministry to explore and extract natural gas and oil resources in blocks "SL13" and "SL14," according to Ministry documents.
The Norwegian delegation included Mr. Jarand Rystad (delegation head), Mr. Christian Eidem, Mr. Tor B. Lund and Mr. Mohamed I.Hassan, head of Asante Oil's Somaliland office.
Mr. Rystad, the head of the delegation, explained to reporters during a Thursday joint press conference with Ministry officials at Maansoor Hotel in Hargeisa that Asante Oil is on its "final leg in preparations" to start its drilling operations by 2009, once acquisition of the seismic data taken by TGS-Nopec is finalized by the end of this year.
Asante Oil executives offered a brief overview of the company's history, exploration plans, drilling program and highlighted costs already spent on their Somaliland acquisition amounting to "millions of dollars."
According to Asante Oil officials, the Norwegian firm's agreement with the Somaliland government did not include "signature bonus fees."
Instead, Asante Oil representatives " guaranteed" to carry out social development programs in connection with the Agreement, in which Asante Oil will provide one water-borehole rig and its maintenance for the people living in SL13 and SL14 regions.
Further, the Company's senior officials pledged to provide vocational training in the oil industry for the employment of locals.
Mr. Qassim Sheikh Yusuf, Somaliland's Water and Minerals Minister, indicated during Thursday's press conference that the 'Production Sharing Agreement' signed with Asante Oil will go before the Council of Ministers and then the Somaliland Parliament for final approval in the "coming months."
Somaliland, in Somalia's northwestern regions, unilaterally declared independence in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally.
There are no proven oil reserves in Somalia, but Western majors who collected data in the 1980s found high potential for oil discovery.
Relevant Links
Currently, Somaliland is locked in a political and violent border dispute with neighborhing Puntland, which contests ownership of Sool and Sanaag regions.
Read comments. Write your own.
Your name and your comment!!!! One God,One World,and One Love(brother or sister)!!
God bless Africa
Are you Dum Or living in a World Filled with lies Somaliland & Ogadenia are 100% Somali soil peace 2 Ethiopia & Somalia
what fool we are .when other people try to divide us like groups ethnic clan who to blame brother but us remember this brother we should take care of each other because we are the same the only difference you and me is different mother
I love somalian if though never seen before I respect that one love my brother
1Love, Your comment is a reflection of your lack of intelligence and maturity. But above all you are one little devil who is consumed with hate and bitternes . ONLF is the sole saviour of the people of ogaden and the struggle will continue untill we free our people from the hands of a savage coloniser like it or lump it.
Asente oil move is unwise one.They should respect the SOMALI REPUBLIC'S terretorial ingerity by not dealing with warlords who try anything to rob and take advantage of poor somali people.As for that paranoid Ethopian, I can only say to you keep dreamin! SOMALILAND, OGADEN, NFD(NORTHERN SOMALI FRONTIER,DJABOUTI AND SOUTHERN SOMALIA ARE ALL PART OF ONE GREAT LAND AND NATION OF SOMALIA. Its about time all somalis unite and know their common enemy. EUROPEANS are becoming more united everyday so do other nations, we somalis should be uniting our country rather than dividing,, UNITED WE STAND,DIVIDED WE FALL!!! VIVA GREAT… [Read Full Text]
There will be no drilling on Somali soil without the consensus of Somaliweyn period!
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Somaliland is part of Ethiopia. The author of this article is clearly confused and needs to be reminded of the fact that somaliland will not be independent in his life time nor in his grand children's time. I hate the current government but i wish they destroy Ogaden Libiration front. ONE ETHIOPIA!