Somali

Commentary

The key determinant the outlook for the basin is the governmental approach to licencing and the regional tensions. Neither have shown any meaningful progress, but commentary in country suggests that this might be changing for the better.

Updated

January 25, 2024

Location

Description

The geology of Somalia is dominated by uplifted and exhumed basement blocks, exposed along the Gulf of Aden, and rift basins containing thick Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary successions. There have been a number of stratigraphic and structural studies of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic sequences in northern Somalia and a few studies have delineated the subsurface based on outcrop geology. However, more detailed subsurface investigations are required to delineate hydrocarbon potential, especially given the prospectivity yielded by the few exploration wells that have been drilled.

Summary

There has been limited exploration in the Somalia basin, meaning that the basin can still be considered "frontier." That said, the key issues are not subsurface (currently), but topsides.