Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals announced on 2 March that it is preparing to launch two new bid rounds in the first half of this year. The first ‘Batch-1’ offering of onshore blocks is slated for later this month to contain “a mixture of tested producing wells, discovered areas, as well as prospects and leads.” A second ‘Batch-2’ offering will focus on offshore blocks and is planned to be launched by the end of Q2.

No further details were provided. The ministry’s latest map shows that there are eight open blocks onshore and a further six offshore, but previous licensing rounds have entailed the carving out of acreage from existing blocks to be offered up to investors. (CONTINUED - 173 WORDS)