Mozambique: Hydrocarbon tender to be launched in November

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Mozambique: Hydrocarbon tender to be launched in November

8:06 CAT | 28 Oct 2021

Photo: INP

Mozambique’s National Petroleum Institute (INP) has revealed that in November it will launch the sixth licencing round for exploration for hydrocarbons.

Following the launch, interested parties will be invited to register their interest and the evaluation process will be completed in March 2022.

According to a report in Thursday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Noticias”, a total of sixteen offshore blocks will be available: five in the Rovuma Basin, near the Tanzanian border, seven in Angoche, off the coast of Nampula province, two in the Zambezi Delta, and two in the area of the Save river, which forms the boundary between Inhambane and Sofala provinces.

“Noticias” notes that through this tender INP aims to increase the availability of hydrocarbon resources for use as raw materials for electricity generation, fertilisers, and fuels.

The sixth licencing round was discussed at this week’s Coordinating Council of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, held in the northern city of Pemba. The minister, Max Tonela, told his staff that “for the interested parties, the evaluation criteria involve not only having proven technical capacity and financial strength, but also their health, safety, and environmental policies, in addition to competence in training personnel and favouring the participation of national companies and services in the projects”.

Huge reserves of natural gas have already been found in offshore areas one and four of the Rovuma Basin off the coast of the northern province of Cabo Delgado. In the south of the country, the Pande and Temane onshore fields, in Inhambane province, are already being exploited by the South African petro-chemical giant Sasol.

The Rovuma Basin covers 17,000 square kilometres onshore and a further 12,500 square kilometres offshore. Meanwhile, the Mozambique Basin, stretching from the Zambezi Delta to the border with South Africa, covers an area of half a million square kilometres.

Source: AIM