SANAA, 10 December 2006 — Yemen awarded five foreign oil companies yesterday the concession rights to explore in eight onshore blocks in the country’s third international oil licensing round.
Oil and Minerals Minister Khaled Mahfoudh Bahah told a news conference that five successful bidders would explore for oil and gas in a total area of 6,160 square kilometers in six provinces in east-southern and northern the country. He said Austria’s OMV picked up block 29 in Al-Mahra province near the border with Oman. Norway’s DNO was awarded block 84 in Hadhramout province.
Both OMV and DNO are already operating in Yemen UK’s Burren Energy was granted block 17 near the southern port city of Aden. This is the first exploration activity in that area.
Two Asian oil companies were among the winners to be the first Asian oil firms to explore in Yemen. The Indonesian PT Medco Energi International won blocks 82 and 83 near an oil producing field operated by Canada’s Nexen in the south-eastern Hadhramout province. India’s oil giant GSPC was awarded block 19 in the northern Al-Jawf province, and blocks 28 and 57 in the southeastern province of Shabwa.