According to The Ministry of Mines, Natural Gas and Petroleum, Ethiopia will begin to export natural gas in less than three years from the Ogaden basin being developed in the southeastern part of the country.
Bacha Faji, The Ministry’s public relations director told APA that the development of the over 4 billion cubic feet of natural gas in Ogaden basin is well on course the country’s second Growth and Transformation Plan GTP2.
Data from the mines ministry show the Hilala and Calub fields in the Ogaden Basin have deposits of 4.7 trillion cubic feet of gas and 13.6 million barrels of associated liquids, both have not been exploited yet.
According to Faji, five international companies are working in the search of natural gas throughout the country. Development of natural gas in Ogaden region has been carried out for 26 years. The exploration activity in the region has become fruitful. Negotiations are underway with different firms to install pipes to get the gas sent to Djibouti port.
The negotiation involves reviewing the financial and technical capacity of the firms; installation of LPG machine which will be carried out at Djibouti port; the machine to change the solid natural gas into liquid; and the export of the gas, which will begin before the end of GTP II.
Meanwhile, according to the director, the search for oil reserves by international companies is underway at different locations in the country.
Ethiopia has not produced oil since the reserve was reported in 1860. According to Ministry’s data, the country’s oil reserves are estimated at around 2.7 billion barrels.