Click here to view pdf version of this information.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS DURING 1998
"upcoming international exploration opportunities"

The following (from AAPG Explorer,August 1998) is a "compilation of upcoming international exploration opportunities.
Sources are from Petroconsultants and various announcements from companies and embassies of the countries involved."

AFRICA

North Africa

Algeria
Blocks in southwestern Algeria are being offered by Sonatrach, the state company, with an eye toward attracting new investment in the gas sector. Sonatrach's data packages were being offered at the AAPG annual meeting in Salt Lake City, and the company also held seminars in Houston and Calgary in June.
Egypt
Nine blocks, eight of which are off-shore, are being offered by state company EGPC.Three blocks are in the Mediterranean and five in the Gulf of Suez.The onshore block,West Aby Shaar in the Eastern Desert, is undrilled.

West Africa

Angola
Western Geophysical continues to add to its 40,000+ kilometer spec seismic database as the government prepares for a new tender call in an area extending south from Block 31 to the Namibian frontier in water depths over 2,500 meters.

Cameroon
SNH, the state company, plans an international tender offer this summer in the Logone Birni Basin in northeast Cameroon.

Equatorial Guinea
Deep water acreage is scheduled to open later this year, with revised terms that include a cost-recovery limit, a sliding royalty scale based on daily produc-tion, bonuses and state participation in all blocks.

Gabon
Bid deadline is in October for 13 deep water blocks under new terms. A complete Geco-Prakla data package of 13,280 kilometers is being offered for $2.7 million (U.S.).

Nigeria
Political turmoil and the death of the head of state has put into question a planned licensing round in offshore deep water.

Senegal
A tender call is expected in late 1998 for five deep water blocks.

Togo
A 3-D spec seismic survey is proposed by PGS-Nopec later this year to add to a previous spec program as the country continues to revamp its laws in prepa-ration for an offshore offering.

East Africa

Madagascar
Acreage remains available in four basins, both onshore and offshore, with an open-ended bid deadline.

Southern Africa

Namibia
An offering for all unlicensed offshore acreage is planned to open in October with the country reportedly adopting new terms - including lowered taxes and royalties - to attract investment.

South Africa
State company Soekor continues to promote five offshore blocks - four on the west coast and one on the southeast coast - to international companies. Meanwhile, Pioneer Natural Resources of Dallas and Anschutz Corp. of Denver have signed agreements to explore sep-arate offshore areas.

EUROPE

Bulgaria
Ten onshore blocks will be offered this year, as the parliament studies a mineral resources law that will define the contract terms.

Denmark
Applications remain invited for any unlicensed acreage within the "Open Door Policy" area in the eastern Danish continental shelf.

Faeroe Islands
The first licensing round is to open in the fall, with 134 parcels being considered for inclusion in the offering.

Hungary
Five areas throughout the country are being considered for a licensing round during the second half of 1999.

Ireland
An offshore licensing round of 156 blocks in the southern part of the Southern Porcupine Basin is open through Dec. 15, with an "Open Door" policy remaining in effect for other unlicensed offshore areas except for the Northern Porcupine Basin and Rockall Trough.

Netherlands
While North Sea acreage is available in the Ninth Licensing Round, the government is considering taking bids on the long off-limits-to-exploration areas in the channels of Rotterdam Harbor and in territorial waters of the Waddenzee.

Norway
Licensing is on hold as the country's parliament debates new hydrocarbon sector policies.
United Kingdom

A large offering opened in June, with almost all unlicensed acreage available in the northern, central and southern North Sea, northern part of the Irish Sea, Liverpool Bay and Morecambe Bay. It is the largest offering by the UK in 37 years. Bids will be accepted through Sept. 11.

EURASIA

Kazakhstan
A 103,000-square-kilometer area of Caspian Sea waters has been subdivided into a grid with a licensing round expected to open this summer.

Russia
Kalmyk Republic
Five blocks in south Kalmykia are offered, with bids due in August.

Perm Oblast
Two proven oil fields, both with four-five million barrels of oil recoverable, have been announced to be up for bid, with no timetable for tender released.

Tartarstan
Bids are being studied on four exploration blocks and three proven fields in the Volga Ural region.

Yakut-Sakha
A tender call on five tracts with major reserve potential in Eastern Siberia is expected in late 1998 or early '99.

Uzbekistan
Six blocks with major probable and proven reserves encompassing 51,700 square kilometers are offered. An application of intent to bid is due Sept. 1, with bids due Nov. 1.

MIDDLE EAST

Iran
For the first time since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, onshore opportunities are being offered with contract terms to be announced shortly, with most deals done by the end of 1998. Fifteen exploration blocks are included in the offer, along with 15 onshore development areas and eight offshore development areas.

Iraq
Nine blocks in the Western Desert along the Saudi frontier are expected to be offered once (if) United Nations' sanctions are lifted.

Qatar
A tender offer is reportedly imminent for an offshore block in northeastern waters that extends toward the undeveloped Balal oil field in adjacent Iranian waters.

SOUTH ASIA

India
A tender call is planned in August for areas in the East Coast,Andaman Sea, Ganga Valley and Central India Basins.

Pakistan
A policy has been adopted where unlicensed areas may receive out-of-round bids. Once initial applications have been received, a tender call is issued for competing applications with-in a specified time.

PACIFIC RIM & CHINA

Australia
Fifty-eight offshore blocks, most of which are considered to have relatively high exploration risk, are being offered on a competitive work program bid basis.Areas offered include deep water acreage in the Canning and Carnarvon basins and the Timor Sea. Applications for most blocks must be made by Oct. 15.

Brunei
Onshore and offshore areas relin-quished by both Elf and Shell are being prepared for a tender offer as the petroleum agreements are being reviewed by the sultanate.

Cambodia
At least 10 onshore tracts in the Tongle Sap and Mekong Delta are expected to be available in a tender offer in late 1998.

China
Plans for competitive tenders and out-of- round negotiations have been put on hold while a complete reorganization of the Chinese state oil and gas sector is sorted out.The reorganization was approved by the People's Congress in March.

Indonesia
The country continues to offer the nine blocks announced in January, along with additions to the original list being announced as the year rolls along. The applications deadline is Sept. 11.

SOUTH AMERICA

Argentina
Bids were being studied for the just-closed licensing round in the Noroeste Basin.

Bolivia
An inventory of acreage available for licensing will be announced in early August, with bid deadlines set for Sept. 15.The country announced at the AAPG annual meeting that 403,000 square kilometers are available for nominations.

Brazil
Petrobras will be allowed to retain 397 of the 433 areas on which it operates, including 213 of 240 established areas, 51 or 60 development areas and 115 of 133 exploration areas. Thirty-six non-retained areas are under consideration for open tender late this year or in early 1999.

Colombia
While pipeline disruptions continue to play havoc with production contracts, Ecopetrol Phase 2 of an offering of 36 specific exploration and produc-tion projects throughout the country remains open. Bids must be received in November on the parcels, which include undeveloped discoveries in the Upper, Middle and Lower Magdalena Basin and in the Llanos and Putumayo basins.

Falkland Islands
Parameters of a proposed licensing round covering 18,000 square kilometers of the Special Cooperation Area in the Malvinas Basin between Argentina and the islands continue to be negotiated.
Trinidad & Tobago

A tender call is expected late this year or early 1999 for ultra-deep water acreage yet to be defined.

CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

Cuba
Twenty-three blocks - 12 onshore and 11 offshore - remain available for negotiation, with 20-year terms and an initial four-year exploration period. Profits tax is 30 percent, and there are no remittance taxes.

Guatemala
Bid deadlines have been extended to mid-August for areas in the North and South Petin Basins.

Nicaragua
Adoption of new laws has cleared the way for an offering in late 1998 or early 1999 for areas in both Caribbean and Pacific waters.