Türkiye’s national oil company and Somalia’s petroleum authority signed an agreement on Thursday for hydrocarbon exploration and production covering Somalia’s onshore territory. The deal, reached in Ankara, builds on the energy cooperation between the two nations.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced that the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) will carry out two and three-dimensional seismic exploration activities in three land blocks covering 16,000 square kilometers in Somalia, followed by drilling activities based on the findings.
This agreement follows a previous deal signed last summer for hydrocarbon exploration and production in Somalia’s offshore areas. Türkiye’s seismic research vessel is currently conducting activities in three sea areas covering approximately 15,000 square kilometers, with the project about 78% complete and expected to finish in May.
Dahir Shire Mohamed, Somalia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, noted that the two countries are taking their bilateral relations to a new level with this agreement for oil and gas exploration on land, with future plans to extend the partnership to the mining sector.
Source: dailysabah.com
