Yemen has extended the bidding deadline for 20 exploration blocks offered earlier this year by one month to 15 June, after attracting strong interest from international oil companies (IOCs), Yemen’s Minister of Oil and Minerals Ahmad ‘Abd Allah Daris says. This comes despite continuing regular militant attacks on the country’s key energy infrastructure.

Speaking at the Yemeni-Turkish Forum in San’a this week, the minister said Yemen had extended the bidding period for the 20 blocks – 11 offshore, 9 onshore (MEES, 5 April) – at the request of IOCs looking to submit applications for some of the newly released acreage. (CONTINUED - 333 WORDS)