Somalia’s quest to unlock its oil and gas resources remains a work in progress, marked by technical hurdles, financial risks, and a legacy of fragmented exploration data held by multiple international firms.
One of the most significant agreements in recent years was Somalia’s contract with the Turkish state-owned company TPAO. The deal required TPAO to conduct 3D seismic surveys across three offshore blocks, followed by exploratory drilling. While seismic mapping is underway, the company is still processing and interpreting the data, with completion expected later this year.
Offshore drilling in the Indian Ocean is both technically complex and financially demanding, requiring billions of dollars. For TPAO to proceed, it would need a strategic partner to share risks and costs — a challenge that has slowed progress.
According to Somali geologist Professor Abdulqadir Abikar Hussein, TPAO may shift attention inland, particularly to areas around Merca, Afgooye, and Balcad, where earlier surveys by Sinclair in the 1960s indicated potential gas reserves. Historical data from companies like Amoco and AGIP remain stored in the UK and could be acquired to fast-track new seismic studies.
The professor listed past exploration wells, including Afgoi-1 (1965), Coriole-1 (1960), and Merca-1 (1958), which provide valuable geological insight. He noted that legacy oil data is dispersed across global firms such as CGG-Fugro Robertson, Schlumberger, and TGS, while majors like BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ENI, and Total also retain extensive records from Somalia’s earlier exploration era.
To reposition Somalia in the global energy market, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Dahir Shire Mohamed recently led a delegation to the International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy (IMAGE) in Houston, USA.
The forum brought together global experts, investors, and energy companies. In his address, Minister Dahir invited international partners to explore Somalia’s vast untapped reserves, stressing the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and sustainable investment that benefits Somali citizens.
The delegation also held bilateral talks with U.S. energy companies, exploring avenues for technical cooperation and investment. The ministry reaffirmed that Somalia’s natural resources offer significant potential for economic growth and job creation, positioning the country as an emerging player in the global energy sector.
For Somalia, the path to oil production remains challenging but promising. With the right partnerships, regulatory clarity, and political stability, the nation could finally transform decades-old geological data into tangible economic opportunities.