Historical Rundown of Oil Exploration in Yemen

The beginning of the search and exploration for oil in Yemen goes back to the 1930’s of the twentieth century. In particular it was in 1938 when Iraq Petrol Company carried out seismic in some Yemeni areas. Then internal seismic operations were carried out by foreign companies in the 1950s and 60s. This continued in the 70s and the outset of the 1980s. All of that ensued to the following:

• In the summer of 1984, Hunt Oil Company announced the first   commercial discovery of oil in Yemen.  Oil was found in Block 18, Ma’reb/Al-Jawaf.  Following that, development of the block was done through building surface plants and constructing a pipeline to the Red Sea.
• In 1986, the production and export of the first oil shipment was executed from block 18 under the guidance and reign of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the maker of Yemen’s new renaissance and oil revolution.
• In 1987, it was announced that oil was discovered in three fields of Shabwah governorate by a (former) Russian company, Techno-Export. These were West Iyad, East Iyad and Amel fields (block 4). Developing of the block was done through building its plants and construction of pipelines to Balhaf Port on the Arab Sea.
• In 1991, significant oil discoveries were made on Sona field Masilah block (, block 14,) by Canadian Occidental Petroleum (now Canadian Nexen Petroleum). Such discoveries were followed by more findings. Then, the block was developed by building its plants and construction of the oil pipeline to Al-Thabah area, Hadhramout governorate, on the Arab Sea.
• In September 1996, oil was discovered in Halayouh field Janah block 5. (It was discovered by a consortium of companies operating in the block). Then plants were built and the produced oil was carried by the pipeline of Hunt Yemen Company, the (former) operator of block 18, Ma’reb /Al-Jawaf. Hunt pipeline delivered oil the port on the Red Sea.
• In 1998, Total Yemen (Total Vienna Alf) made a number of oil discoveries in the following fields: Khareer, Atouf, and Wadi Taryah, (East Shabwah block 10). Production was linked with Al-Masilah block 14.
• On December 18 1999, DNO, a Norwegian company and operator of Hawreeh block 32, announced the discovery of oil. It started production and exporting oil through Al-Masilah pipeline in November 2001.
• In December 2001, production began in block 53.
• In April 2004, Block S1 started producing oil.
• November 2005 was the outset for oil production from block 51.
• In July 2005, oil production initiated from Block 43.
• December 2005 was the beginning of producing oil from Malik block 9.

In addition, oil discovery in block S1 was announced to have been done and production would possibly start in the second half of 2006.

This is Yemen with very humble potentials to serve the people and the homeland.