Maputo, Mozambique, 28 Aug – Mozambique before the end of September plans to launch a new tender for oil exploration, the Natural Resources Minister, Esperança Bias said Monday in Maputo.

“The tender, which is just one and not two as was the initial idea, will be launched soon and have a prize of US$68 million for prospecting and the government plans to have the results by December,” said Bias.

The minister said that the new concession would cover the southern area of Inhambane province or the Rovuma basin, where there are geological conditions for oil and natural gas.

“We have been receiving indications that there is a lot of interest from many multinationals, but because of the size of Mozambique, which is very big, we are going to choose the company that will guarantee to present results by December, which could be from South Africa, Brazil or the United States,” Bias also said.

In July 2005, the Mozambican government launched a tender for concession of various offshore blocs in the area known as the Rovuma basin, the name of the river that separates Mozambique from Tanzania.

Canada’s Artumas Group, US company Anadarko Petroleum, Malaysia’s Petronas and Italy’s ENI are some of the companies with activities in that basin. (macauhub)