The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) has pushed back plans to licence offshore acreage in an exercise originally slated to kick off on 7 November but now delayed until the end of the year.

Plans will be announced in December by when officials anticipate the new Petroleum Law, currently before the Upper House, will have been passed into law, according to Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed.

Speaking at the Africa Oil Week conference in Cape Town this week, Ahmed promised the resumption of roadshows next year and reiterated the ministry's earlier intention to release 15 demarcated blocks offshore central and southern Somalia.

The blocks to be offered are beyond acreage already held under force majeure by Shell and ExxonMobil, but not crossing into waters disputed by neighbouring Kenya.

Back in 2014, Somalia sued Kenya at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), requesting the boundary be drawn to reflect a diagonal line in Somalia's favour, with the decision scheduled to emerge this month, but Kenya successfully petitioned the court to adjourn until mid-2020, fearing it might lose.

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