Egypt plans to launch three more bid rounds this year in addition to an ongoing gas-focused bid round for six onshore Nile Delta and six offshore Mediterranean blocks launched in January (MEES, 6 January). oil minister Tarek El Molla says.

Mr Molla announced Egypt’s intentions during the opening ceremony of last week’s Egypt Petroleum Show in Cairo. Providing more details later in the week, the minister explained that one bid round would be launched before the end of February for “brownfield” acreage, another for the Western Desert, and the third for Gulf of Suez and Red Sea blocks. (CONTINUED - 343 WORDS)