The Instituto Nacional de Petróleos (Institute of National Petroleum, INP) announced its Fourth Onshore Licensing Round on 3 November 2009. Seven frontier areas are available, covering a total area of 146,000 square kilometres. These areas are located within three basins; the Mozambique, Zambezi and Maniamba Basins. Interested parties have been invited to apply for either full exploration (EPCC) or reconnaissance (RCC) contracts. INP’s data room was opened in Maputo, Mozambique, on 9 November 2009 to support the round and includes seismic, gravity, magnetic and technical data, as well as technical evaluation studies. A non-refundable application fee of MZN 500,000 (approximately USD 17,240 or GBP 10,250) must be paid for each area.
The licensing round is expected to close at noon on 30 April 2010. From May 2010 the INP, together with Mozambique’s Ministry of Minerals Resources, will evaluate the offers made and anticipates awarding successful applicants in September 2010.
Further information regarding the Fourth Onshore Licensing Round, and how to apply, can be found at the INP’s Fourth Licensing Round website: www.inp-mz.com
Overview of the seven areas available in Mozambique’s Fourth Onshore Licensing Round. Source: PetroView®
Three areas are available in North Mozambique. Maniamba lies within the Maniamba Basin and the Middle Zambezi and Lower Zambezi areas fall within the Zambezi Basin.
The Maniamba area has evidence of coal outcrops and during the 1970s 17 coal exploration wells were drilled. It is thought that there might be potential for gas in this area due to the presence of coal. In the Zambezi Graben, exploration has also been limited, with aeromagnetic surveys undertaken by Hunting Geology and Geophysics during the 1980s.
The three northern blocks located within the Maniamba and Zambezi Basins. Source: PetroView®
The remaining four areas, Banhine, Mazenga, Limpopo and Palmeiras, fall within the Mozambique Basin in the south of the country. These areas are located south-west of the Pande-Temane gas fields and the gas pipeline from the Pande-Temane fields to South Africa passes through three of the four areas.
Exploration of the Mozambique Basin has also been limited to a small number of wells and some historical seismic data, which has since been reprocessed.
The four southern blocks located within the Mozambique Basin. Source: PetroView®