MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News)-A US-based seismic data processing company, Spectrum, has dismissed allegations raised by the Kenyan government against Somalia.
Early this week, Kenya summoned its ambassador to Somalia and ordered his Somali counterpart in Nairobi to depart to Somalia over allegations that Somalia allegedly auctioned off oil, gas and mineral blocks falling within the Kenyan borders.
In a statement, Spectrum Geo Limited which inked an agreement with the Federal Government of Somalia in Mogadishu in September 2015 has thrown its weight behind Somalia dispelling the unfounded allegations by Kenya.
The company says it was assigned to acquire 2D multi-client seismic data offshore the coastline of Somalia, as the first step in the hydrocarbon exploration process.
“Spectrum acquired a total of 20,185 km. of 2D seismic data, in a grid stretching from south of the maritime border with the Federal State of Puntland, to north of the maritime border with the Republic of Kenya,” the statement reads in part, “All of this seismic data was acquired wholly within the maritime territory of the Federal Government of Somalia, and no data were acquired within the area currently the subject of the maritime delimitation case with Kenya.”
Spectrum has also dismissed Kenyan government’s allegations that Somalia conducted an auction in London.
“Federal Government of Somalia hosted a successful promotion of the Somalia Offshore Round at the Somalia Oil and Gas Conference. During this successful promotion, no exploration blocks were auctioned,” the company said.
The development comes a day after Somali government denied the allegations raised against it.
The country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday night that it is ready and willing to cooperate with Kenya in finding an amicable solution to the crisis that has caused a diplomatic tiff between the two countries.
“Somalia is not now offering, nor does it have any plans to offer, any blocks in the disputed maritime area until the ICJ decides the parties’ maritime boundary,” the statement said.
Kenya and Somalia had had a protracted dispute over a maritime boundary which escalated in 2014 when Somalia sued Kenya at the International Court of Justice.
Discussion about this post