Star Africa: Mozambique extends hydrocarbon licensing deadline to April

Mozambique has extended to the end of April 2015 the deadline for submission of bids for the fifth hydrocarbon licensing round simultaneously launched in Maputo and London in October, state-controlled Noticias daily reported on Monday.The deadline was initially set for 20 January 2015 but government said the extension was necessitated by huge interest in the tender by oil and gas companies.

That interest was shown when 100 people attended the Maputo launch while 350 attended the London one, representing more than 50 hydrocarbon companies.

“Taking into account the various requests for an extension of the deadline, as well as the need to maximize the number of competing companies, the Mozambican government has decided to extend the period for submitting bids to 12.00 (noon) on 30 April 2015,” the paper quotes a government media statement.

At least 15 blocks are on offer, covering a total area of 76,800 square kilometres. Three of the blocks are in the Rovuma Basin where American firm Anadarko and ENI of Italy have discovered huge reserves of natural gas off the coast of the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
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