Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources

What Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources does

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources is the federal government ministry of the Federal Republic of Somalia responsible for developing and regulating the country's petroleum, hydrocarbon, and mineral resources sectors. Headquartered in Mogadishu, it oversees the full petroleum value chain — upstream exploration and production, midstream operations, and downstream storage, quality control, and distribution — through a codified framework anchored by the revised Petroleum Law of 2019/2020 and a suite of petroleum and mining regulations. It manages a state-controlled ecosystem comprising the Somalia Petroleum Authority (SPA) as the regulatory arm and the Somali National Oil Company (SONOC) as the state's commercial vehicle, and administers a Petroleum Revenue Sharing Agreement that distributes future revenues between the Federal Government, six constituent Member States, and local communities (with Member States entitled to up to 70%).

The Ministry's core "products" are regulatory services: offshore licensing rounds conducted under Production Sharing Agreements with international oil companies, the foundational 122,000 km² seismic dataset generated with Spectrum (now TGS), and oversight of historic agreements with Shell and ExxonMobil that were converted into PSAs via a February 2019 settlement. Its go-to-market is government-led and directed at international energy investors through licensing rounds, roadshows in financial centers such as Houston and Dubai, participation in conferences (Africa Energy Summit, Africa Oil Week), and bilateral cooperation discussions with counterpart ministries. Revenue mechanics are licensing/royalty-based — primarily early surface rental payments from Shell and ExxonMobil — with no commercial production yet and downstream regulatory scope only taking effect June 21, 2025. Customer segments are: the Federal Government and Member States (revenue beneficiaries), IOCs including Shell and ExxonMobil (licensees), and the broader Somali population as ultimate beneficiaries of resource-derived public revenue.

Name

Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources

Legal name

Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources

Website

https://mopmr.gov.so

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources is Somalia's federal regulatory authority for petroleum, hydrocarbon, and mineral resources, managing offshore licensing rounds, Production Sharing Agreements with international oil companies, and a petroleum revenue-sharing framework between the Federal Government, six Member States, and local communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Petroleum Regulation

NAICS

Crude Petroleum Extraction (21112), Crude Petroleum Extraction (211120), Oil and Gas Extraction (211)

SIC

Oil Royalty Traders (6792), Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas (1311), Oil & Gas Field Exploration Services (1382)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIABAO

State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/State/Provincial & Regional Government Administration

SECONDARYEUALAAAB

Mineral Rights, Leasing & Land Management

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Oil & Gas (Upstream, Midstream, Downstream and Refining)/Upstream Exploration & Production (E&P)

SECONDARYBPAIAMAJ

Minerals, Mining & Geologic Resources Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration

Keywords

• Petroleum regulation
• Offshore licensing
• Hydrocarbon exploration
• Production sharing agreements
• Mineral resources management

Headquarters

HQ city

Mogadishu

HQ country

Somalia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Petroleum Revenue Sharing: The ministry oversees the collection and distribution of petroleum revenues through a landmark Revenue Sharing Agreement that distributes future petroleum revenues between the Federal Government, six constituent Member States, and their local communities. Member states receive up to 70% of potential future petroleum revenues.
2. Surface Rental Payments: Early revenues have been generated from surface rental payments from companies like Shell and ExxonMobil. These initial revenues are being distributed under the terms of the Revenue Sharing Agreement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources regulates and develops Somalia's petroleum, hydrocarbon, and mineral resources sectors. It administers offshore licensing rounds offering exploration blocks to international oil companies, negotiates Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs), oversees upstream, midstream, and downstream petroleum operations, and manages the Petroleum Revenue Sharing Agreement that distributes revenues between the Federal Government, six Member States, and local communities. The Ministry also oversees the Mining Policy, Code, Regulations, and Management framework.

Product overview

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources operates as Somalia's central regulatory body for hydrocarbon and mineral resource management. The ministry oversees a comprehensive petroleum regulatory framework spanning upstream exploration and production, midstream transportation, and downstream distribution. Key offerings include the Somalia Offshore Licensing Round for international oil companies, management of the Somalia Petroleum Authority (SPA) as the regulatory body, and the Somali National Oil Company (SONOC) for government participation in petroleum operations. The ministry also manages a mining sector encompassing policy, code, regulations, and management services. The petroleum revenue sharing system distributes revenues among the Federal Government, Member States, and local communities. This is a government regulatory portfolio rather than a commercial product suite.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Somalia Offshore Licensing Round Offshore licensing round offering exploration blocks for hydrocarbon exploration and production to international oil and gas companies, with subsequent rounds offering up to 15 blocks.
• Petroleum Regulatory Framework Services Comprehensive regulatory services covering petroleum upstream, midstream, and downstream operations including licensing rounds, production sharing agreements, and industry oversight for international oil companies operating in Somalia.
• Mining Sector Management Government oversight of mining activities including mining policy development, mining code enforcement, mining regulations, and mining management services for mining sector operators.
• Petroleum Revenue Sharing Management Management and distribution of petroleum revenues between the Federal Government, six constituent Member States, and local communities according to the Petroleum Revenue Sharing Agreement, with Member States receiving up to 70% of potential future petroleum revenues.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Mideast Communication Systems (MCS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2026Note: This MoU was signed between MCS and Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, not Somalia's ministry.
• Shell and ExxonMobilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019Shell and ExxonMobil have historic agreements with Somalia for petroleum exploration. The companies signed an agreement settling historic obligations and initiating a roadmap enabling conversion of concessions into Production Sharing Agreements. Early revenues from surface rentals are being shared under the Revenue Sharing Agreement.
• Spectrum (now TGS)coreTechnology or IntegrationSpectrum, the world's leading provider of subsurface data, conducted extensive seismic surveys covering 122,000 km² of Somalia's offshore areas. Their surveys identified strong evidence of source rock with potential oil hydrocarbons and geological structures favorable for oil trapping.
• Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NPD organized a four-day training program for 25 government officials on Understanding the Petroleum Sector and Good Resource Management, building institutional capacity within the ministry.
• Somalia Petroleum Authority (SPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished under the Petroleum Law as the competent regulatory authority to regulate petroleum operations, applying principles of equality, openness, accountability, transparency and non-discrimination.
• Somali National Oil Company (SONOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished as an entity controlled by the Government for participation in petroleum operations in Somalia.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ministry of Petroleum (Nigeria): Nigeria's federal petroleum ministry has long overseen one of Africa's largest upstream sectors and a national oil company (NNPC). Comparable as a federal-level petroleum policy and PSA oversight body, though far larger and more mature.
• Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (Norway): Norway's mature petroleum ministry administers one of the world's most successful PSAs and state-participation models. Relevant as a benchmark institutional partner (NPD is training Somalia's officials) and as a reference architecture for Somalia's evolving framework.

Direct peers

• Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (Uganda): Uganda's ministry covers petroleum exploration, licensing, and mineral resources for a frontier East African market. Comparable mandate and stage of development, with similar reliance on PSAs and international oil company engagement.
• Ministry of Minerals (Tanzania): Tanzania's ministry regulates mining and mineral resources within the same East African geological belt that includes Somalia's offshore basins. Comparable regulatory function, including licensing rounds and PSA frameworks, for similar resource categories.
• Ministry of Energy and Petroleum (Seychelles): Seychelles regulates offshore petroleum licensing in a frontier Indian Ocean basin with geological analogs to Somalia. Comparable as a small-state offshore regulator dependent on international oil company licensing rounds.
• Ministry of Petroleum and Mining (Kenya): Kenya's federal-level ministry responsible for petroleum and mineral resources policy and regulation, sharing both the East African geography and the frontier-exploration context. Somalia's maritime dispute with Kenya makes this a particularly direct institutional counterpart for regulatory and licensing comparison.
• Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (Mozambique): Mozambique's ministry oversees petroleum licensing and mineral resources with a major offshore LNG-focused basin. Comparable to Somalia because both regulate frontier East African offshore basins with seismic-to-licensing pipelines and national oil company participation.
• Ministry of Petroleum (South Sudan): South Sudan's petroleum ministry oversees upstream licensing, PSA administration, and revenue sharing in a frontier, fragile-state context. Directly comparable to Somalia on regulatory structure, frontier exploration profile, and dependence on IOC investment.
• Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (Liberia): Liberia's ministry regulates petroleum licensing and mining in a post-conflict, frontier-market West African context. Comparable mandate covering both petroleum and minerals, with similar early-stage licensing and PSA dynamics.
• Ministry of Energy (Ghana): Ghana's ministry regulates petroleum exploration and production in a frontier West African basin that has progressed from licensing rounds to commercial production. Comparable role as a national petroleum regulator overseeing IOCs and a national oil company.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Mopmr
• Facebookfacebook.com/mopmr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mopmr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources