Russian oil and gas company GPB Global Resources is embarking on an oil exploration project in the Afar Regional State of Ethiopia.

The country’s Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas, and GPB Global Resources signed petroleum production sharing agreement whereby the company would prospect for oil in the Gewane-El Wiha block, in the Afar Regional State, StarAfrica reported.

The exploration area is located in the Afar region in the north-eastern part of the country covering 42,000sqkms. Recently, GPB Global Resources hired another company, BGP Geo Services, a Chinese company that specialized on seismic surveys which has started collecting seismic data from the concession,according to GeeskAfrica.com.