Geoscience firm Spectrum has agreed a multi-client master co-operation deal with the Somalian government.
The agreement allows Spectrum to acquire approximately 28,000km of long offset 2D seismic data offshore south Somalia. The new acquisition has been specifically designed to complement 20,000km of existing seismic that was acquired in 2014.
Spectrum has also been granted the marketing rights for this data. Together, these seismic surveys will allow the in-depth study of hydrocarbon prospectivity offshore Somalia, which lies in close proximity to major discoveries on the East African margin.
The deal comes just days after ION Geophysical agreed a contract with the Puntland Petroleum Minerals Agency to carry out seismic data acquisition off the coast of the semi-autonomous region. Both moves could pave the way to a return to exploration offshore Somalia, which was halted in the 1990s under a force major after civil war broke out in 1991.
Offshore drilling on the shelf regions of the Gulf of Aden and the Eastern Shelf of Puntland during the 1970’s and 1980’s by Shell, ELF-Somalia, AGIP and OXY proved disappointing. Eight wells were drilled in Offshore Puntland with no commercial hydrocarbons were found.
But, new plays are now being assessed, particularly following the significant discoveries off neighboring Tanzania, Mozambique, and Kenya. Since 2012, when the country's first internationally recognized Federal Government was formed, operators are once again looking at the country's potential. However, maritime border disputes are ongoing in the region.
At a deal signing ceremony the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, His Excellency Mohamed Mukhtar Ibrahim, said: “This historic seismic data agreement will be the resumption of the exploration program of the hydrocarbon reserves of our country, which will be a turning point for the economic development of our nation.”
His Excellency Omar Abdirashid A. Sharmarke, Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia who concluded the event stated: “Seismic data can lead to good decision-making and a guided exploration strategy.”
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