Zambia awards exploration licenses for 11 blocks
Zambia is set to award exploration licenses for 11 oil and gas blocks in the northwest, east, and west of the
country, according to Maxwell Mwale, minister of mines and mineral development.
"Successful bidders should commence petroleum exploration activities immediately," Mwale said, adding that seven
companies -- international and local -- have been selected as successful bidders for the blocks.
Mwale identified these bidders as Exile Resources (Block 26), Glint Energy (Blocks 2, 3, and 4), GP Petroleum (Block
22), and Petrodel Resources (Block 17), along with three unnamed local companies.
In June, Zambia issued an international tender for 23 blocks near the border with Angola. Bidding for the remaining
12 blocks will close in June 2010. Bidders are required to pay a non-refundable fee of $ 10,000/block for the data
packages.
Meanwhile, earlier, Zambia invited bids for the supply of 1.4 mm tons of oil over a 2-year period ahead of the expiry
of a deal with Kuwait's International Petroleum Group.
The tender for crude supplies came as Zambia's sole refinery, the 24,000-bpd Indeni Petroleum refinery, which was
shut down for maintenance on Oct. 15 after a fault, has resumed production. Owing to the malfunction of a key
component at Indeni, Zambia has been experiencing acute shortages of both diesel and gasoline, threatening to bring
down the economy of Africa's largest copper producer.
Zambia's government bought Total's 50 % stake in the Indeni plant for $ 5.5 mm in early November.
Recent market estimates indicate that the refinery needs $ 65 mm for recapitalization.
