By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 5 -- Foreign oil companies, especially independents, will still have plenty of bidding choices later this summer even though Brazil is slightly paring back its sixth exploration and production licensing round this August, government officials said Tuesday at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.
Brazilian officials with the country's National Petroleum Agency (ANP) said a recent move to pull 61 tracts from consideration in order to collect more data for environmental reviews will not change the round's appeal with industry.
"It won't impact things at all because there are plenty of remaining blocks," said John Forman, ANP director of exploration.
Sixteen foreign companies have shown interest in "Round 6." Industry participation is expected to be robust because of encouraging seismic information collected for the state-owned oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA.
Forman expects the round to be held on or about Aug. 17 in Rio de Janeiro. ANP said there will now be 914 blocks offered for bid: 295 onshore, 454 in shallow water, and 165 in the deep water.
The excluded tracts lie in Barreirinhas and Santos deepwater blocks, but should be available next year when a new round takes place.
