By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun – Somaliland has received invitation to the prestigious annual World Assembly and Awards of Excellence hosted by the oil Council.
The official invitation extended to the ministry of Energy and Minerals shall see the minister Eng Hussein Abdi Duale address the over 100 executives from world’s leading oil and banking firms on issues pertaining to the Somaliland energy sector.
According to the Oil Council the annual World Assembly and Awards of Excellence which shall be held from 17th of November, 2014, 18th of November, 2014 Lancaster Hotel, London, UK where Europe’s Largest Business Conference for Oil and Gas Executives shall see a number of them receive Awards of Excellence
For Somaliland which is continuously attracting the attention of international bodies with energy interests, it shall not only be an opportunity for the minister Eng Hussein Abdi Duale to showcase the energy potentials existing in his country but an even bigger opportunity to rub shoulders with the world’s and more importantly Europe’s Oil and Gas Executives.
Upon Somalilandsun queries to Eng Hussein Abdi Duale on the importance of the two days conference, the energy minister adding voice to the oil council’s said there are good Reasons to Attend the World Assembly and Awards of Excellence: namely
1. Benefit from high quality networking with O&G senior executives and both private & institutional investors
2. Hear from over 100 senior, industry leading speakers
3. Immerse yourself in an agenda of essential business intelligence & over 30 hours of content
4. Focus on your regions of interest: Where are the best investment opportunities to be found from Iraq/Kurdistan to East, West and North Africa & the UK
5. Take advantage of on-site introductions to ensure active business development
6. Celebrate excellence in your industry at the annual awards of excellence
7. Continuous investor showcases: Find out where the best opportunities for investment lie
8. No power point: Enjoy a free and frank flow of ideas through interactive panel discussions
While over 100 speakers among them Eng Duale have confirmed, the one anticipated most is from Tony Hayward who is expected to address the assembly on his companies various interests worldwide of import being his Genel Energy Oil Exploration and Extraction two Product Sharing Agreements- PSA with Somaliland.
The two Genel Energy PSAs in Somaliland covers five blocks: SL-6, SL-7, SL-10A, SL-10B, SL-13 in which the Anglo Turkish firm has 75% interest and operator in blocks SL-10B, SL-13 (East Africa Resource Group 25%) with another 50% operator interest in blocks SL-6, SL-7 and SL-10A (Sterling Energy 40%, Petrosoma 10%) that brings its Total gross acreage to 40,300 square km
The former BP executive Tony Hayward is currently Chairman of Glencore Xstrata and CEO of Genel Energy an Anglo –Turkish firm that is spearheading Oil exploration in Somaliland where it is the lead firm in a field that has a number of other international firms among them DNO Norway, RAK Gas LLC , ANSAN WIKFI, Jacka Resources and Sterling Energy
While the forthcoming is a prestigious event Somaliland has had occasion to participate in similar forums notably the 2014 Mining Indaba in South Africa and 2013 Africa DownUnder conference in Perth Australia
Though many believe that the non recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign country is harmful as it has denied it access to international loans Eng Hussein Abdi Duale who has managed the country’s emerging oil sector since assuming office in mid 2010 is of divergent thought, terming non recognition as a blessing in disguise since his country is blessed by dodging the AID curse
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The Oil Council is the most senior and influential network of oil and gas executives in the world. We connect oil and gas executives, and in turn their companies, to each other and to their partners in the finance and investment worlds.
The OC that focus on the business dynamics of oil and gas; the pioneers, partnerships, capital, transactions, joint ventures and capex that determine the future direction of the industry and shape tomorrow’s energy landscape has paid a glowing tribute to the Somaliland Energy Minister describing him in these terms,
Quote- As the Minister of Energy & Minerals of the Republic of Somaliland, Mr. Hussein Abdi Duale is charged with directing H.E. President Ahmed Silanyo’s agenda to develop Somaliland’s energy and mineral resources in an environmentally responsible and sustainable way for the benefit of its people. These include the development of hydrocarbons, hard minerals, renewable energy and efficient power generation.
Hussein A. Duale was appointed by President Silanyo in August 2010 as the Minister of Mining, Energy & Water Resources. In mid-2013, the President decreed the establishment of a new water resources Ministry and the existing Ministry’s name was changed to the Ministry of Energy & Minerals (MOEM).
During the first four years of his tenure, the Minister made major strides in marketing Somaliland’s petroleum potential. Mr. Duale kick started the petroleum exploration activity in the country by attracting international oil companies to operate in Somaliland despite the lack of recognition of the state. Through the Minister’s efforts in raising the profile of Somaliland as an oil exploration destination in attending multiple international oil & gas conventions, several international oil companies currently operate or have significant interest in the country’s hydrocarbon sector.
Mr. Duale is a US educated and trained Petroleum Engineer who devoted a good deal of his time in advancing Somaliland’s goal to one day develop and exploit its natural resources. Although he spent his professional career in the Middle East and the US, he nevertheless acted as an advisor to previous Somaliland governments on natural resources development issues. Prior to his appointment to lead this Ministry, Mr. Duale had a successful career with the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) managing multi-million dollar contracts including compressed natural gas plants and fueling systems.
Prior to his career with Metro, Mr. Duale worked as Petroleum Engineer with Chevron USA in California where he oversaw oil exploration and production operations at both onshore and offshore fields. Before his immigration to America, Mr. Duale began his career in the oil business as a sales representative with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for Distribution (ADNOC-FOD). Read the Complete BIO of Eng Hussein Abdi Duale
