Minister Shainee: Nearly sure that the Maldives have oil

Minister of Fisheries, Dr. Mohamed Shainee has said that they are nearly sure that the Maldives have gas or oil.

Talking to the press after returning to the country with the results of the research done by the scientists of Germany’s University of Hamburg last year, Minister Shainee said that the research shows that in the “fluid or gas” comes up within the country’s border under the ground in the sea.

But he said that not many details were discovered in the research.

“The research shows that something is coming to the surface in zones in the research area. This is a sign of either gas or fluid or something coming up. This the truth believed by scientists that have published in the most famous journals in the world.” Minister Shainee said.

Minister Shainee said that in the research area, the diameters in the fluid or gas surfacing areas are about 300 – 400 meters wide with 450 – 500 meters deep. Although there is confirmation of oil, the Minister said that whether it can be retrieved can be confirmed after passing another stage.

The Minister said that oil drilling is a very expensive process. And he said that the Maldives is conducting the research in collaboration with German geological scientists with no expenses.

“What this government is doing is checking if there is oil in the country or since we have some information about it, going forward with that work. That doesn’t mean we would extract oil in the country in the next two years.” Minister Shainee said.

The Minister said that the countries in the area has mostly found natural gas and check what it is that we have by bringing a drilling boat in the next two or three months by working with the German institute.

And the Minister said that companies from Norway and England have shown interest in the government’s effort to find oil.

Research shows that about 23 – 65 million years ago, there was fresh water lake on Maldivian land. But now that lake has gone underwater.

It is believed that there is oil in the Maldives because it is confirmed there is a fresh water lake underground. And he said that to find or for the oil to be made, biological materials from such a late are needed.