Norwegian survey contractor TGS-Nopec has completed two new multi-client programmes in Somaliland prior to the country?s open bid round later this year.

Offshore, TGS has shot 5100 kilometres of seismic, gravity, and magnetic data covering both shallow and deep water areas, with the data becoming available to clients in the third quarter.

Onshore, TGS shot about 34,000 kilometres of high resolution aeromagnetic data covering all known Somaliland petroleum basins and the data should be available by mid-year.

Somaliland is geologically analogous to Yemen where several oilfields have been discovered to date, said TGS in a statement today.

Somaliland is bordered by Ethiopia in the south and west, Djibouti in the northwest, the Gulf of Aden in the north, and Somalia in the southeast

The Somaliland Minister of Water atural Resources, Mudane Qassim Sheikh Yusuf Ibrahim accompanied by a delegation from the ministry including the Director-General returned to Hargeisa after attending an international petroleum convention in the United States of America.

Speaking to the media upon his arrival at Egal International airport, Mudane Qassim Sheikh Yusuf gave a brief summary of the delegation's visit to the United States, the United Kingdom and Ethiopia.

The Minister stated that the visit enabled the Somaliland delegation to conduct a presentation to petroleum companies and investors at an international convention in San Antonio, Texas.

The Republic of Somaliland in partnership with TGS-Nopec of Norway recently completed an extensive inshore and offshore seismic surveys. The Somaliland government has announced its intent to conduct an open bid round later in the year after the data becomes available. A press release on the visit is expected to be issued by the ministry in the coming days.