Asker, Norway (20 February 2020) – The Federal Republic of Somalia has confirmed that the country’s Petroleum Law has been ratified by His Excellency, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo. The Presidential Ratification is a landmark moment in the development of Somalia’s natural resources, which will be transformational for the country’s development. Somalia has the potential to become one of the most significant plays offshore East Africa.

TGS offers 20,000 km of long-offset 2D seismic data offshore Somalia, which has been used to de-risk source rock presence, distribution and maturity. This data complements an additional 20,000 km 2D survey, also offered by TGS. This is the only data available over the blocks of the first Offshore License Round and TGS has an exclusive agreement with the Somali government to market this data to interested parties.

As part of the Petroleum Law, provision will be made for the establishment of The Somali National Oil Company (SONOC), a government-controlled entity charged with participating in petroleum operations, and a Somali Petroleum Authority to act as a regulatory body overseeing oil and gas activity.

This recent development now paves the way for the conclusion of Somalia’s first Offshore Somalia License Round, with an expected closing date for submissions of bids at the end of Q3 2020.  In conjunction with the license round, a roadshow is scheduled in Houston, Texas for April 2020 where confirmation of the offshore blocks in the region will be announced.

Rune Eng, Executive Vice President, Southern Hemisphere at TGS, commented: “Offshore Somalia remains one of the last truly frontier margins in the world. Ratification of the Petroleum Law in Somalia is a major step in the country’s journey to developing its offshore hydrocarbon reserves. TGS is delighted to be a part of this story with exclusive seismic data in this highly attractive margin - one which offers outstanding exploration opportunities.”

Company summary     

TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company (TGS) provides multi-client geoscience data to oil and gas Exploration and Production companies worldwide. In addition to extensive global geophysical and geological data libraries that include multi-client seismic data, magnetic and gravity data, digital well logs, production data and directional surveys, TGS also offers advanced processing and imaging services, interpretation products, and data integration solutions.

For more information visit TGS online at www.tgs.com.

For additional information about this media release, please contact:


Jaclyn Townsend, Director, Brand Marketing, Tel: +1 832-667-4757

Email: jaclyn.townsend@tgs.com