ENI tries studious approach to top new licencing round

摘要

Italian major ENI is already in the startingrnblocks for the licencing round that thernMalagasy state hopes to launch before thernend of the year. According to our sources,rna team of ENI geologists and geophysiciansrnhas been visiting Madagascar regularly forrnseveral weeks to study the data held byrnOMNIS (Office des Mines Nationales et desrnIndustries Strategiques) on the MorondovarnBasin in the western part of the country. ENIrnhas not yet signed a production-sharingrnagreement with the Malagasy authoritiesrnbut nevertheless plans to bid for one orrnseveral permits. At present, Omnis and thernMinistry of Mines and Oil are studying a revisionrnof the Malagasy oil code. In a few weeks,rnthe leading players in the oil sector will comerntogether for a national concertation workshoprnat which they will get access to a preliminaryrnversion of the new code. Ying VahrnZafilahy, Minister of Mines and Oil, wantsrnthe new text adopted in the next session ofrnparliament in May. Some 50 blocks will thenrnbe made available. As with the new miningrncode which is also in preparation, the objectivernof the new oil code will be to increasernstate revenues without discouraging investorsrn( AMI 386). Apart from ENI, Britishrnmajor BP is taking a close interest inrnMadagascar’s oil and gas. Jasper Peijs, therngroup’s vice president for exploration inrnAfrica, and Oksana Dembitska, head ofrnbusiness development, met President HeryrnRajaonarimampianina in December.