MADAGASCAR Offshore bidding round: Omnis and oil ministry spark confusion

摘要

The decision by Madagascar’s nationalmines and strategic industries officeOmnis to suspend the bidding round for44 oil and gas blocks it launched inNovember last year is still causing a greatdeal of headache. According to oursources, the ministry of energy headedby Vonjy Andriamanga has organisedan entirely separate licensing round forthe same blocks. It has also asked consultancyfirms Africa Oil & Gas and JohnW. Ffooks to draw up a template productionsharing contract even though Omnisalready has its own models. By choosingto rewrite these contract templates beforeit tackles the reform of the country’s 1996hydrocarbons code ( AEI 833), officiallyto save time, the ministry has only addedto the general misunderstanding aboutthe process. Oil firms currently have noway of knowing what legislation they willbe working under.