Addis Ababa, October 1, 2025 – Ethiopia is moving closer to unlocking its long-sought energy potential as Finance Minister Ahmed Shide held high-level talks with Zhu Gongshan, Chairman of China’s GCL Group, on accelerating the country’s oil and gas development. The meeting, which took place on September 30 at the Ministry of Finance, signals Ethiopia’s intent to fast-track investment in downstream refining and industrial hubs linked to its natural gas reserves.
First Phase Completion at Calub and Hilala
Minister Ahmed congratulated GCL Group for successfully completing the first phase of Ethiopia’s Oil and Gas Comprehensive Project Complex at the Calub and Hilala gas fields in Somali Region. These fields, believed to hold more than 4.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, are central to Ethiopia’s energy security and industrialization ambitions.
The government has treated the project as a national priority, with a high-level committee supervising progress. Ahmed reassured the GCL delegation that similar political backing and regulatory facilitation will extend into the second phase, which is expected to expand extraction capacity and move into commercial production.
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