48 bidders register for Brazilian oil field auction

A total of 48 companies have registered for the scheduled June 7 auction of 23 oil-field concessions in Brazil, according to the National Petroleum Agency. There is a deadline for registration. A spokesman said it was unlikely additional bidders will come forward.
The June auction is the second such event since deregulation of Brazil's oil market in 1997. At a similar auction in 1999, Brazil's government sold concessions to explore for and drill oil in 12 fields.