6.

7
M adagas c ar
Project:
Management of oil and gas in Madagascar

Following an application from the President of Madagascar, dated 15.03.05, a Country facts:
delegation led by NORAD visited Madagascar in February/March 2006. The aim was Official Name:
to assess the possibility of conducting a project assisting the relevant authorities Republic of Madagascar
building their competence and capacity within the oil and gas sector. NORAD’s
proposal regarding launching such a project was presented to the Oil for Capital:
Development’s Steering Committee at its meeting 11.05.06. The Steering Antananarivo
Committee approved the project, and asked NORAD to proceed with the work.
Chief of state:
19.05.06 NORAD requested NPD to prepare a plan for a long term cooperation President
programme between Madagascar and Norway. Both environment and revenue Marc Ravalomanana
management should be included as integral part of the cooperation programme
as these elements are all parts of the scope for Oil for Development. The Head of Government:
programme should indicate a time schedule as well as an overall budget. Prime Minister Jacques Sylla

A Terms of Reference document was approved 15.08.06 detailing the coming Population:
activities and budget. The planning work should be based on: 18 595 469 (2006)
• the application received from the President of Madagascar dated 15.03.2005,
updated 01.06.2006 Petroleum sector,
• The report from the NORAD delegation to Madagascar 25.02. - 04.03.2006 key figures:
• The Functional and Financial Review of OMNIS, 10.07.2006 Average oil production: none
• Petrad 2005 assessment of Madagascar Petroleum sector Annual gas production: none
• NPDs own assessment of the requirements of
• Ministry of Energy and Mines Organisation of the
• Ministry of Finance petroleum sector:
• Office for National Mining and Strategic Industries (OMNIS) OMNIS (Office des Mines
• BIANCO Nationales et des Industries
Strategiques) who reports to
Ministry of Energy and Mines

Activities in 2006:
NPD attended NORAD’s Fact Finding Mission to Madagascar in
February/March together with NORAD and MPE.

NPD organised a visit to Madagascar together with SFT and FIN in September for
drafting the project plan. A series of meetings were held with OMNIS and various
government institutions. NPD also attended the Strategic Decision Meeting (SDM)
arranged by the Presidency.

As preparation for the first offshore licensing round, two geophysicists from OMNIS
spent 2 weeks at NPD in November/December to interpret the newly acquired
regional seismic survey from offshore Madagascar. A management delegation from
OMNIS and the Presidency also visited Norway for further detailing of the project
plan and to have meetings with NPD, PSA and GRID, Arendal.

OMNIS delivered a new project plan and a revised application for cooperation with
Norway to the Norwegian Embassy in Antananarivo on 20.12.06.

Contact:
NPD: Mr. Gunnar V. Søiland, Project Coordinator, gunnar.soiland@npd.no
OMNIS: Mr. Elisé RAZAKA, Director General, razaka.elis@wanadoo.mg

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Norwegian Petroleum Directorate
O i l f o r d e v e l op m e n t

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6.7
Plans 2007
NPD will continue to play an active part in order to
finalize the overall Programme Document. Based
on this NPD and OMNIS will sign an Institutional
Cooperation Agreement. Signing is expected in
May 2007.The activities listed in the Terms of Reference
document of August 2006 will be completed by first
half of 2007, including both technical and legal sup-
port for the offshore round. An UNCLOS workshop is
planned for March in Madagascar as preparation for
sending a claim to UN for extension of the Continental
shelf. The Petroleum Safety Authorities will arrange a
workshop on Safety Audit methodology for OMNIS in
April and perform a joint audit towards Madagascar Oil
later in the year. High level Training will be initiated and
organized as Master degree education in Norway for
selected staff at OMNIS and 8-week Petrad courses.
NPD will select internally a Petroleum Advisor that will
stay 2 years in Madagascar in the OMNIS office to
ensure good cooperation between Norwegian and
Malagasy institutions and ensure individual com-
petence and organizational capacity building.
The NPD advisor will commence her duties in
Madagascar in June 2007. Activities on all the
Programme elements will start fully during second
half of 2007 and continue to 2011.

2 0 0 6 -2 0 07
Source: PetroView Norwegian Petroleum Directorate
O i l f o r d e v e l op m e n t

41