The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of the Federal Government of Somalia, Dahir Shire Mohamed, signed an important agreement today in Ankara, Turkey, with his counterpart, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey, Alparslan Bayraktar.
The two ministers officially signed a strategic agreement to strengthen energy cooperation between Somalia and Turkey, and both sides agreed to start an oil exploration operation in the Biriga area in the country’s territory (Onshore Blocks).
The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Dahir Shire, who is in Turkey, gave an interview to the National Media and detailed the new agreement reached today between the two governments of Turkey and Somalia.
“This agreement is new and related to the exploration of Biriga oil. Since there is a need for Biriga oil, we are signing it with Turkey, which is similar to the offshore exploration that Turkey is going to benefit from Biriga. It is also less difficult and less expensive in Biriga. Offshore oil exploration is ongoing and is progressing well, and official decisions on offshore oil exploration will be available after May this year,” said Minister Dahir Shire.
The agreement between Somalia and Turkey is indicated to be implemented by the two state oil companies, namely the Turkish Petroleum Authority (TPAO) and the Somali Petroleum Company (SPA).
“Somalia is conducting seismic surveys in two dimensions (2D & 3D) in three areas of 16,000 km².
Once the survey is completed, drilling activities will begin based on the survey results,” a statement from the Somali Ministry of Petroleum said.
This new agreement demonstrates the progressive efforts of the Somali government in the country’s natural resources, and paves the way for the second phase of land exploration, as the Minister said that the exploration activities carried out in the Somali offshore oil are now at a final stage.
Finally, Minister Daahire Shire expressed great hope that this cooperation will be fruitful, contributing to the growth of the country’s economy, creating job opportunities, and strengthening bilateral relations between Somalia and Turkey.
