19-11-04 The National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), has announced that it has received bids from six foreign oil companies to carry out exploration of oil in the country. The six companies include Woodside from Australia, Repsol of Spain, Regal of England, Oranto based in Nigeria and England, Obekpa of Nigeria and Oceanus of England.
The six foreign oil companies submitted bids to NOCAL in response a tender from NOCAL in April this year requesting companies with the requisite backgrounds to submit bids to NOCAL to invest in the country.

NOCAL's president and CEO, Cllr. Musah Dean, Jr. said the bidding process was opened in April this year. Speaking at the Monrovia City Hall during program marking the 2004 rounds and launching of a bid evaluation and assessment committee of NOCAL, Cllr. Dean said the bids received by NOCAL will be reviewed by a special committee headed by Geophysicist Mr Cletus Wotorson.
He said the committee is made up of representatives from the Ministries of Justice, Planning, Land and Mines, National Investment Commission among others. Cllr. Dean who was dwelling on an update of NOCAL's operation, said at the end of the review process, the special committee will come out with the name of the company that will do business in the oil industry of the country.

The NOCAL's boss added that since 1948, Liberia has been searching for oil but noted that their quest became prominent in April 2000, the year the National Legislature passed the act establishing NOCAL. He used the occasion to commend all those that have made this dream a reality including former president Charles Taylor, NOCAL's first boss Belle Dunbar among others.
For his part, the Chairman of the board of NOCAL, businessman Willis Knuckles urged Liberians to get actively involved in taking control of the big money investment sector of the country. He said Liberians should not feel satisfied with the establishment of block factories, shops and clubs as investment but rather they should organize themselves in joint ventures and invest in the bigger industries.

Mr Knuckles expressed dismay that no Liberian nor a group of Liberians applied to NOCAL during the bidding process. Also speaking, the chairman of the special committee that will review the bid, Mr Cletus Wotorson, assured the bidders of a fair and transparent process.
For his part, Land, Mines and Energy Minster Jonathan Mason who himself is a member of NOCAL's board, reminded the committee reviewing the bid that their job is tedious and as such, they should be fair, honest and transparent in the process.

During the program, the bids which were unsealed were turned over to the committee's chairman, Mr Cletus Wotorson by Cllr. Dean. They were later opened.
The ceremony was graced by government officials, representatives of the bidding companies among others.