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- H.E. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea, launched the oil and gas and mining licensing round at the African Petroleum Producers’
- Organization (APPO) APPO CAPE VII Congress & Exhibition.
The round features 26 onshore and offshore blocks, with two blocks holding existing discoveries. - It will also serve as the country’s first mining Ronda.
Equatorial Guinea launched 26 onshore and offshore blocks during the presentation of its open licensing round at the APPO CAPE VII Congress & Exhibition on Wednesday, announced by H.E. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea.
The licensing round covers 24 offshore and two onshore blocks. Two of the blocks host existing discoveries, including Ophir Energy’s former Block R, which encompasses the currently stalled Fortuna floating liquified natural gas project and is now on offer as EG-27.
EG-23, located directly northwest of Marathon Oil’s Alba gas-condensate field and adjacent to the maritime boundary with Nigeria, hosts the Estaurolita gas discovery, located 27km from ExxonMobil’s Zafiro field and once considered for a two-well subsea tieback to the supermajor’s Zafiro Producer floating production, storage and offloading vessel. The block – parts of which were previously operated by CMS Energy and Marathon – also houses the Tsavarita oil discovery and the non-commercial Sodalita West oil find.
Six blocks – EG-07, 08, 12, 14, 25 and 30 – surrounding Bioko Island are up for grabs. Atlas Petroleum previously operated EG-30 (known as Block J) while Starc used to operated EG-25 (formerly Block X), but the companies have been forced to relinquish these assets having done little or no work on them for years. EG-07 holds the Langosta- gas and condensate discovery.
Other deep-water acreage available includes EG-05, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, and 22. Glencore previously operated EG-22 (then Block V) and EG-05. Blocks EG-03 and EG-04, previously controlled by Elegance Power, are on offer onshore Rio Muni, while shallow water assets EG-19, 26 and 29 (the former Block N) are also being offered to the industry.
The former Corisco Deep block, also known as Block K and now called EG-28, is also available. Four areas around Annobon Island – EA-01, 02, 03 and 04 – round out the tender.
On the mining side, the entire Rio Muni Basin is on offer, with evidence of bauxite, coltan, diamonds and gold, as well as other minerals.
Serving as the exclusive agent of the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons to custody and manage the mining and hydrocarbon government national database and licensing round, U.K. consultancy firm Perceptum has prepared data sets and promotional materials for the round, and the data room is now open.
