Mensa Mining Corp (EQBM): Soma timeline April 25 2003 http://www...

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Re: EdF post# 27334

Monday, 01/08/2007 11:22:18 PM

Monday, January 08, 2007 11:22:18 PM

Soma timeline
April 25 2003
http://www.nuradeen.com/CurrentIssues/Somaliland.pdf
www.sirag.org.uk/thelittlecountrypage1.htm

Public knowledge Tokyo Sexwale buys 4 oil concessions from Somaliland.
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May 2003-from ophir website today jan 7 2007
Somaliland
The Berbera Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) was awarded to Rova Energy Corporation Limited (Rova) by the Government of Somaliland in May 2003. Ophir has acquired 75% of the issued share capital of Rova, which is a special purpose company established to develop the Somaliland interests. The State of Somaliland is not yet recognised by the international community, however following 15 years of self-rule under a democratically elected Government, tangible progress is being made towards achieving full recognition.

Following discussions with the Ministry of Water & Mineral Resources (MWMR), Rova has agreed to redefine the area under the Berbera PSA to focus exploration on the more prospective western region, covering Blocks 35 and M10A. The licence area covers 14,306km2 in northern Somaliland and is situated both onshore and offshore where water depths reach up to 1,000m.
Exploration success in Yemen in the 1980s caused an increase in activity in Somaliland which has contiguous geology. This exploration activity was halted by the Somalian civil war which resulted in a declaration of independence by Somaliland in 1991. Only three wells have been drilled in the Berbera Block. Of these, two were offshore (minor shows) and the third, the only onshore well in the block, was a 243m deep stratigraphic hole. Three wells drilled adjacent to the western edge of the Berbera Block (Dagah Shabel 1-2-3) over the period November 1958 to November 1959 all encountered strong oil shows.
Ophir are currently in discussions regarding the acquisition of aeromagnetic and seismic data in the region.

http://www.ophirenergy.com/Default.aspx?folder=PageViewer&control=Default&master_id=129&...
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So Tokyo has a deal! With Somaliland government, through rova, which is owned by ophir. Sounds good what’s next? (imo)
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A year later this becomes public knowledge (imo)

24 May 2004-Equitable Life Investment Company announced that the company has executed an agreement with Somapetrolum LLC to acquire Somapetrolium rights to the oil and gas in the Berbera Block in Somaliland. The Berbera Block consists of: Blocks 35, 36, (on-shore) and M-10 &M-10A (off-shore).
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07 June, 2004
http://www.somaliland.org/arcns.asp?ID=04060701

Somaliland Denies Petroleum Extraction Deal Between Soma Petroleum LLC And The Somaliland's Ministry Of Water And Mineral Resources
The Horn Tribune — Hargeisa, Somaliland — 07 June, 2004

In his refutal rejoinder, Hon. Qasim Sheikh Yusuf issued the following statement:
- The republic of Somaliland Ministry of Minerals and Water informs all Somali Landers wherever they are, that the Ministry has no information or any connection to an article published by the Republican of 29th May - 4th June 2004 issue number 299 and titled " Somapetrolium Transaction is bearing fruits"
- The fallacious article first appeared on the PR News Wire of
Toronto on 24th May 2004 names companies like equitable life company and Somapetrolium LLC of which the Ministry of Minerals has no knowledge of ,therefore has neither any dealings, relationship nor entered into agreement with, during the last six months or earlier.
- The Ministry of Minerals and Water, Republic of Somaliland
request any person who has any information as pertains to these companies or the false and malicious petroleum deal to contact the Ministry or any other authority as a matter of urgency. The information required should divulge.
1. The base and registration country of these company (if they
really exist)
2. Records of Berbera blocks 35 and 36 (on shore) and M-10, M 10A(off shore) agreement between this Ministry and Somapetrolium.
Hon Qasim Sheikh Yusuf revealed that his Ministry is not in the habit of making secret agreement and for that matter with companies of unknown origin and quality at that. The Minister summarized that the motive of the malicious persons behind the article whoever and wherever they are is to tarnish the image and had earned credibility of the government of Somaliland. Hon. Qasim further concurred with a THT suggestion/ opinion that it might also be the workings of persons with the intentions of disrupting the country but could not find any other way have been making the rounds with the sole intent of destroying the prevalent political harmony and stability. The Horn Tribune and
the Ministry of Minerals and Water will pursue the matter through vigorous investigation of the companies thence
brief you more in the coming days.

“this investigation never happened, nor did they ever comment anything beyond this commentary?” (imo)
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The Indian Ocean Newsletter, October 23, 2004/BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE; N. 1107/www.africaintelligence.com
Enter Tokyo Sexwale
A South African mining magnate has just obtained a permit to explore for oil in Somaliland. It is now more than a year that the former prime minister of the government of the South African province of Gauteng has expressed an interest in exploring for oil in Somaliland, an autonomous region in the North West of Somalia, which he visited in the middle of last year. Tokyo Sexwale has just materialised the project, by recovering, according to information obtained by Africa Energy Intelligence (Indigo Publications), the exploration permits for onshore blocs 35 and 36 and offshore blocs M-10 and M-10A in Somaliland. The transaction was made some months ago with a new company called Ophir (the name of a mythological kingdom situated in the Horn of Africa or Saudi Arabia), of which Mvelaphanda Energy, subsidiary of Mvelaphanda Holdings, Sexwale's company, holds the majority of the equity. The other partners in Ophir are Alain Stein, Jonathan Taylor and Peter Dolan, all former managers of the Anglo-Australian company Fusion Oil, which they had left following its acquisition by the British company Sterling at the beginning of this year. Ophir will have to manage all of the oil assets of the Sexwale group, which owns 10% of the gas fields in Ibhubesi, operated by the American company Forrest Oil in the Orange River Basin. Its oil permits in Somaliland were acquired from two firms which owned them: the Canadian company Equitable Life Investment Company whose CEO is Uri Lawrence Skolnik and BLRS LCC owned by G. Ravid (ION 1090).

“Stop the truck right here

What happened to

“So Tokyo has a deal! With Somaliland government, through rova?

which is owned by ophir?. In april may 2003?????
(imo)”

Now they “what???? October 23, 2004/
A South African mining magnate has just obtained a permit to explore for oil in Somaliland.
Its oil permits in Somaliland were acquired from two firms which owned them: the Canadian company Equitable Life Investment Company whose CEO is Uri Lawrence Skolnik and BLRS LCC owned by G. Ravid???? ”

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31 August, 2005

Secret Deal Between The Government Of Somaliland And Unknown Company Called REC Is Exposed By Group Of Experts In The Field Of Petroleum Ex
Dr. M.Y. Ali and Dr. Ali keli — Hargeisa, Somaliland — 31 August, 2005
http://www.somaliland.org/ns.asp?ID=05083104

Guys that wrote this article are from http://www.pi.ac.ae/
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October 2005 in an article at the following location, ophir claims ownership through rova

http://www.goodgovernancegroup.com/PDFs/gogvol1issue3.pdf
November 9, 2005 (Business Africa) – A production-sharing agreement covering four oil concessions in Somaliland has recently been finalized by South African company Ophir, according to a report published in Africa Energy Intelligence.
Ophir was established in 2004 by the former management of Fusion Oil & Gas. Ophir has acquired 75% of the onshore 35 and 36 licenses and 75% of the offshore M10 and M10A blocks, the remaining 25% of each being owned by a British company, Rova Energy.
The rights were acquired by Ophir when it purchased 75% of Rova. However, in 2004 a Canadian firm, Soma Petroleum, made similar claims about the same blocks, only for the government to deny it had any dealings with the company. The fact that Ophir holds interests in various oil and gas projects around Africa does indicate that some progress may be made in exploring Somaliland's oil potential, but the problem of international recognition and the question of just who owns the resources in Somaliland—Hargeisa or Mogadishu—will not be solved anytime soon.
Oh?????? Why is that???? Didn’t you already get the deal from the government and then later from larry????
Ask larry that question!
http://www.somalilandtimes.net/199/101.shtml getting interesting yet?
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Friday 9th December 2005

http://www.hargeysa.org/Exposing%20the%20deception%20of%20Rova%20Energy%20Corporation%20Limited.htm

HE. Dahir Riyale Kahin
President of Somaliland
Hargeisa
Somaliland

Friday 9th December 2005
Dear Mr. President,
Recently we came across a letter written by Mr. (Dr.?) Andy Chakrabarti, the director and owner of a bogus company calling itself Rova Energy Corporation (REC) Limited dated December 1, 2005, in response to the letter which we sent to you on July 29, 2005 that exposed the true reality of this fake company.
In this letter we will further expose the deception of REC and its directors, Mr. (Dr.?) Andy Chakrabarti and Dr.? Jawahir Mohamed Ali, by refuting the letter which they have sent to you. This letter is full of inaccuracies, lies and slanderous statements, which is the normal practice of crooks and bogus companies like REC. Mr. Chakrabarti’s problem is not one of breaking the Somaliland and international laws, rather, he believes that no one can stop him to plunder the resources of our country.
See link for the rest
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January 24, 2006
http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=553&fArticleId=3078552

Mvela's Ophir holds Somaliland cards close to its chest
January 24, 2006

By Renée Bonorchis

The ability to play one's cards close to one's chest is a key advantage of managing an unlisted company. And so it is with Tokyo Sexwale, the chairman of unlisted Mvelaphanda Holdings, which has a controlling stake in Ophir, an Africa-focused oil and gas explorer that has quietly gone about building a tantalising portfolio of concessions in Africa.

By last year, Mvela's investment in Ophir was reliably understood to exceed R1 billion. This was even before it ploughed funds into the company as part of a recent private capital-raising exercise in the UK that garnered more than R500 million.

Mvela won't say how much it invested in the latest round. Mvela says it is Ophir's largest and controlling shareholder, but it will not disclose more. Gossip all the way from Somaliland suggests Mvela's stake is around 45 percent.

This emerged after disgruntled individuals made noises in a letter last year about an offshore exploration licence held in Somaliland by Rover Energy, which is 75 percent owned by Ophir.

According to a report in the Indian Ocean Newsletter, Rover management in turn wrote a letter to the Somaliland president in December, apparently reproaching officials for leaking information to the company's detractors.

Management cited the 45 percent ownership figure in the letter. Alan Stein, the managing director of Ophir, describes the Somaliland dispute as "a storm in a teacup" and reiterates that the licence is not in jeopardy.

"The guys who wrote the letter had been trying to get jobs ... Then they wanted data from us. Then they wanted to sell it to us. The stuff they wrote was nonsense," Stein says, clearly irritated at being questioned on the matter.

"We had meetings with the minister and the vice-president in Somaliland a few weeks ago. Everything was fine. The minister was aware of the letter, and their view was pretty much the same as ours," he says.

Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, is not yet recognised by the international community and Stein, who is more comfortable with this line of questioning, says Ophir faces "some issues" in relation to the sovereignty position. For example, some contractors need to resolve questions about insurance.

Ophir has identified some locations in the massive 28 564km2 Berbera Block in Somaliland for further work. However, it wants to acquire more data for confirmation.

While the Somaliland concession is not on Ophir's immediate radar (Gabon and Equatorial
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July 2006 african energy magazine

Link-

http://rangeresources.com.au/docs/News%20Article%20-%20African%20Energy%20July%202006.pdf

Excerpt-“ Chakravarty’s Rova Energy Corporation
took over onshore (Blocks 35 and 36) and offshore (M-10 and
M-10A) blocks earlier licensed to Uri Lawrence Skolnik’s
Canadian-registered Equitable Life Investment Company and
its US-based partner Somapetroleum.
“
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August 2006

LINK-http://www.somalilandnet.com/somaliland_voice/articles/13372061.shtml

Fikrada halkan ku qoran waxaa ka masuul ah qofkii qoray oo ah Dr. Ahmed Ali. The views published here are solely those of its authors Dr. Ahmed Ali. and do not necessarily reflect those of Somaliland Net . Article and Opinion

Open Letter to: Honourable Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, MP, Speaker of House of Representatives
Aug 20 2006 Re: Exposing the Plot of the Minister of Mineral & Water Resources and Rova Energy Corporation Limited to Plunder Hydrocarbon Resources of Somaliland

So you see Ed, there is much conflict over whether or not larry holds or held these permits?

I think I will wait for the official responses from the proper sources and then Larry,
Before I place one shred of credibility on anyone else but those opinions.