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No petroleum has been found in Ethiopia despite
years of search, according to Ethiopian Mines and
Energy Minister (MoME), Alemayehu Tegenu.
"People have been asking this question since the
time of the Imperial Regime, but we have not been
able to find any traces," he told the
parliamentarians on Thursday, November 5, 2009.
"However, gas reserves have been found in the Ogaden
area of the Somali Regional State, and efforts are
under way to produce the resource."
Gas production was delayed because of an attack by
people with weapons against Chinese and Ethiopian
workers in the Ogaden region in 2007. The armed
assault killed 64 Ethiopians and nine Chinese. The
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has since
claimed responsibility for the killing.
The national programme to explore petroleum and gas
reserves covers most parts of the country, the
minister said.
"Previously we surveyed only the Ogaden region but
now we are exploring almost 80pc of the land across
the country," he said and added that his ministry
has already given 17 licences to 11 companies that
are engaged in different mining activities including
the survey and excavation of wells.
Over 43tn of gold reserves have recently been found
in Sakaro around Legedembi in southwestern Ethiopia
and the Tulu Kabi area which is 450km west of Addis
Abeba, near the border of Sudan, he recalled.
A number of mining projects are to start production
in Wolega, Tigray and Southern Ethiopia, he added.
Ethiopia earns about 105 million dollars annually
from the sale of gold to international markets. |
