The discovery of the two giant exhumed oil fields of Bemolanga and Tsimiroro at the beginning of the twentieth century has aroused the petroleum exploration activities in Madagascar.

The petroleum exploration history is divided into three main periods:

• Prior 1960 , it was conducted mainly by SPM, a subsidiary of ELF Aquitaine (the French national oil society),

• From 1960 to 1975: first entrance of other international companies than French in oil exploration (Chevron - Agip – Conoco - Teneco),

• Since 1976, year of OMNIS creation : partnership with important and major international oil companies (Mobil - Oxy - Amoco - Agip - Shell - Maxus - BHP- Hunt Oil - Triton - Gulfstream - Vanco - Norks Hydro - Sterling Energy – Vuna Energy - ExxonMobil).

• Geophysical surveys:
  71,000 km of 2D seismic
  3,600 km² of 3D seismic
  195,000 km of aeromag
  11,000 km of micromag
  33,000 km of magnetism
  87,000 km of gravity

• Exploration wells: 75 wells
  1 in onshore Ambilobe Basin
  8 in Majunga Basin
  65 in Morondava Basin
  1 in offshore East Coast