/ 5 January 2007

Zambia invites tenders for new gas, oil fields

Zambia on Friday said it would invite tenders from oil firms to prospect for new petroleum and gas fields found in the country’s north-west, adding that the successful bidders would be named soon.

Mines Minister Kalombo Mwansa said the areas where the oil and gas reserves were discovered last year had been demarcated so that private firms could bid for specific blocks.

“The demarcated blocks are being published in the Government Gazette to invite bids from interested companies,” he said in a statement.

“The selection of successful bids will be done in the early part of 2007,” Mwansa said.

He said other areas of the province would be tested for oil reserves.

“The areas that will show positive results will then be demarcated into additional blocks and published in the Government Gazette to invite more bids from petroleum-exploration companies,” Mwansa said.