Sudan unveils new oil blocks for investment

KHARTOUM - The Sudanese Ministry of Petroleum on Monday announced six new oil blocks for investment and invited all countries and companies to present their offers to operate those blocks.

"We have six new blocks in north, west, east and central Sudan, " Sudanese Minister of Petroleum Awad Ahmed Al-Jaz told reporters following a meeting of the ministry's oil exploration and production administration here on Monday.

"These blocks are open to all countries and investment companies. There are no preconditions on any nationality or country other than financial and technical abilities together with the respect of the Sudanese laws, regulations and traditions," he said.

He added that previous experience with companies was a pride for Sudan, regarding investment in the oil field, expressing hope that big companies would come to push forward the country's oil production.

The Sudanese minister set the coming January 15 as a date for investors to present their bids for the mentioned blocks, reiterating that investment would be open to all the world countries and partners, and that the selection would be based on financial and technical abilities.

He vowed that his ministry would work to provide information in a transparent manner and remove all difficulties to boost oil work in the country, particularly that the new blocks are free of any legal barriers.

The new oil blocks are blocks 14 and 18 on Sudan's border with Egypt, block 12 B in Sudan's Darfur region, block 15 at the Red Sea area and blocks Eight and 10 in the capital of Khartoum and eastern Sudan.

The separation of South Sudan on July 9 this year caused Sudan to lose around 75 percent of its oil revenues, leading to a rise in inflation rate and a drop in the value of the Sudanese pound.