ERHC Energy Inc (ERHE)

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Nigeria pushes back licensing by 8 days


Edmund Daukoru.
(5/3/2007 - OGI: Lagos) Nigeria's Ministry of Energy said today it is postponing the auction scheduled for today of 45 onshore and offshore blocks to 11 May.
The licensing round has been postponed several times since its first announcement last year.
Minister Edmund Daukoru said at today's Offshore Technology Conference in Houston that interested operators and investors still have until Saturday, 5 May to register to participate in the bidding for the concessions. He said that bidding including the electronic submission of bids, will be fair and transparent.
Previously Daukoru had said the offering of a range of blocks across Nigeria and in the shelf and deep offshore regions would be held prior to the installation of the country's newly elected president Umar Yar-adua, who was chosen to succeed his confederate Olusegun Obasango in an election that has been roundly challenged as unfair and manipulated. The change of government is set for 29 May, and the signing of production sharing contracts with the winning bidders in this round is set for 28 May.