By Seleshi Tessema
ADDIS ABABA
Ethiopia hopes to start exporting gas in 2017 following completion of an 800km natural gas pipeline linking eastern Ethiopia to Djibouti, an Ethiopian official said Thursday.
"Installation of the pipeline is expected to be finalized in 2017. By then, we hope to begin exporting gas to the world market via Djibouti," Ethiopia Bedecha, deputy head of communications at Ethiopia's Ministry of Mines, told The Anadolu Agency.
"International gas pipeline construction companies have begun purchasing bid documents [to tender bids] to install the pipeline," he said.
Bedecha says Ethiopia has an estimated 4.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Kalub and Hilal gas field in the country's east.
Development of the gas field has been leased out to China's Poly Petroleum Investments.
"Consultancy firms are also buying bid documents," Bedecha said.
He said the firms would provide means of "connecting the construction of the Ethiopia-Djibouti fuel pipeline, which both governments [Ethiopia and Djibouti] plan to build, to the Kalub and Hilal natural gas pipeline."
Development of the Kalub and Hilal gas field has been stalled for decades.
According to Bedecha, exploration of the gas field first began back in the 1970s.
"But the commercial potential and feasibility studies were only completed three years ago," he said.
"Finance and other issues, including security, had delayed implementation of the project," he added.
In 2007, nine Chinese and 65 Ethiopian workers were killed in an attack on the offices of a Chinese oil company in eastern Ethiopia by the rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front.
The attack had led to the suspension of exploration activities in the region.
