Liberia: New licensing, 3D seismic

National Oil Company of Liberia (Nocal) has granted three blocks to two companies following the second licensing round. Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and China’s Tongtai Petroleum’s bids were accepted following an evaluation by the Inter-Ministerial Petroleum Technical Committee. Anadarko has taken Block LB-10, while Tongtai has blocks LB- 6 and LB-7. Nocal president Fodee Kromah said Mittal Investments had bid for LB-7 and LB-10, but had stipulated that it wanted both blocks, not just one. The companies will now start negotiations on production-sharing contracts, which were a protracted process for the blocks awarded in the first bid round in 2004.