Cooled by the activism of independence movements in the province of Ogaden, Tullow Oil has preferred acquire 50% of block of South Omo in the south-western Ethiopia, a safer area. The Irish band becomes operator alongside Africa Oil, which came on August 19 this block by taking over the assets Agriterra Ltd (ex-White Nile). Tullow interested in Ethiopia since November 2009, when the group has initiated discussions with South West Energy (SWE) to enter the blocks 9, 9A and 13 in the troubled region of Ogaden (eastern ).
According to our information, Tullow has not finalized its negotiations with SWE because of the actions of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). April 5, geologist Jason Read IMC Geophysics International Ltd, who worked on behalf of Petronas in the Ogaden, was killed two Ethiopian soldiers. The ONLF has denied at the time to be involved in the killings, attributing it directly to militias financed by the government in Addis Ababa, has long become uncontrollable.
The talks held in Washington in August between some leaders of the marginal ONLF and the Ethiopian government are unlikely to lead to rapid pacification of the Ogaden. And without a security guarantee in Addis Ababa, Tullow therefore preferred to focus on less dangerous areas of the country.
The agreement reached in September with Africa also provides that Tullow Oil from Kenya. They now operate with 50% blocks 10A and 10BB, which lie just south of South Omo. In exchange for its presence in these three blocks, Tullow will pay $ 10 million to Africa Oil and fund up to 23.75 million jobs. This amount will undertake a 2D seismic survey on each perimeter, and two boreholes.
Source: Africa Energy Intelligence - Edition Française
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