NEW DEHLI (India), Feb 15 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — TANZANIAN has notified global energy stakeholders of its intention to launch the Fifth Licensing Round of exploration blocks in the Indian Ocean deep sea and onshore areas.
That was revealed here when the government said it has been actively promoting investment opportunities in the oil and gas sector as it heads to launch a bidding round in March this year.
Speaking during a visit to the Tanzanian pavilion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Dr Doto Biteko insisted on the government’s commitment to developing all available energy resources to ensure a stable and sufficient supply.
The Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA), as part of its efforts, is showcasing its oil and gas potential at the India Energy Week Conference and Exhibition in New Delhi where over 70,000 participants from more than 50 countries are attending the energy forum.
He also praised PURA for utilizing international platforms to attract investors to the sector.
PURA’s Director General, Eng Charles Sangweni, highlighted key preparations for the upcoming licensing round, including securing the services of TGS ASA, a geophysical company specializing in oil and gas data processing.
He said the company will also be responsible for marketing the data to potential investors globally.
“TGS ASA will collect and process seismic data in unexplored deep-sea areas to expand the availability of petroleum data for investors,” Eng Sangweni noted.
He further revealed that PURA has finalized a comprehensive mapping of 26 exploration blocks available in the licensing round.
Of these, 23 are located in deep waters of the Indian Ocean, while three are in Lake Tanganyika.
The government remains optimistic that the upcoming licensing round will attract major investors, further unlocking Tanzania’s oil and gas pot. — NNN-DAILYNEWS
