By Guled A. Mahir
The government had announced the discovery of petroleum in Baha-Dhamal centre in Salahley district.
According to minister of mineral resources Hon. Abdillahi Farah Abdi revealed the discovery of oil in the Salahley area.
The minister stated that the oil was found by a group of people who were drilling for water.
He said, “The ministry of water resources was drilling a water borehole, after drilling 340 meters a black oily substance sprouted out of the ground.”
The minister confirmed that after the discovery his ministry dispatched experts who revealed that the black substance was indeed crude oil.
Minister Abdillahi added, “Three important characteristics of oil was noted upon the discovery. The substance color was black, had oily features and had the smell of oil.”
The mineral resource minister said that the village where the oil was discovered had been explored by oil exploration company Genel Energy in 2017.
In another development some journalists visited the farm where the oil was discovered and interviewed the owner. He said that he had donated the area to the community so that a water borehole could be drilled, but when the drilling exercise began oil sprouted from the ground. He said the oil belongs to the people of Somaliland.