The Ministry of Mines & Petroleum has unveiled a plan to begin exporting natural gas within two years. The Ministry estimates to get up to a billion dollars a year from exports. The construction of a pipeline that will extend to Djibouti to transfer oil is expected to be finalised by 2020. There is an estimated 4.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Somali Regional State. The Ministry has as well suggested that the exploration of petroleum resources that can be commercialised will continue. Export earnings from the mining industry stand at 130 million dollars, way below their levels in the early 2010s.
