jmb - There are TWO Zones. One, is the JDZ (Joint Development Zone) which is ''shared'' between Nigeria and the tiny Archpilogue of the Sovereign State, Sao Tome & Principe (STP).
Nigeria and STP hv agreed upon, a 60 by 40 % Ownership of the Zone, and administered by a Joint Development Authority, to award licences of acerage in the JDZ.
The EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) is, well as it says, the EXCLUSIVE ZONE, Owned solely by the Sovereign State, STP. No official announcement of planned rounds of bidding for the EEZ hv been announched. As for seismic done in the EEZ, as far as I know only 2D seismic has been performed, but, 3D can be done in a matter of 3 to 4 months, if not already done.
Here is some more background from the WEB page of PGS/PGO who's been active in this region and acting as exclusive for STP:
Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe Oil production on the Niger delta first began with Shell in 1958. Since then, exploration and production has gradually moved into deeper waters. The blocks where PGS have shot MC3D seismic are located in water depths of 2-3 km (Figure 2). PGS has acquired this seismic in co-operation with its Nigerian partner IDSL. The surveys are close to major worldclass discoveries such as Ukot, Akpo, Nnwa and Agbami.
The Niger river has transported enormous amount of sediments into the marine environment from Late Eocene onwards , prograding the coastline approximately 200 kilometers southwestwards during the Late Eocene to Recent. Altogether, more than 10 kms of sediments have accumulated. The rapid deposition has lead to overcompaction and mobilization of clays, forming shale diapirs. Gravity tectonism dominates the delta.
The prospective areas north of Sao Tome and Principe contain the deepwater extension of the Niger Delta in the JDZ and are situated adjacent to the Akpo field. The recently discovered La Ceiba field in Equatorial Guinea also proves that a separate hydrocarbon system exists to the east of Sao Tome.
PGS has entered into an exclusive agreement with the Government of Sao Tome and Principe to assist them in promoting their offshore acreage in future license rounds. As a result of this, PGS has acquired an MC3D seismic survey that covers the most prospective area of the Joint Development Zone (JDZ) between Nigeria and Sao Tome & Principe (Figure 2).
The JDZ includes the southernmost extent of the outer compressional fold belt of the Niger Delta. The PGS survey shows that the structuring is complex and characterised by large distal toethrusts trending northwest-southeast, terminating toward the southern part of the 3D survey against thrusts that trend more east-west. The toe-thrusts are relatively recent features that deform thick sedimentary successions of Oligocene- Pliocene age.
The survey data show excellent seismic facies resolution of numerous turbidite channel systems within the Agbada formation equivalent. Analogues of theses facies can be seen in present day channels observed traversing the JDZ area. Direct hydrocarbon indicators (DHI) are also numerous and will help define potential hydrocarbon accumulations.
Ninety percent of deepwater hydrocarbons found to date in the Niger Delta have been trapped within turbidite sandstones. In addition, two-thirds of deepwater reserves in the delta have been found in traps with a stratigraphic component. Although large structures are currently being drilled in the region, they more often that not have a stratigraphic overprint. Explorationists need to understand the often-complex relationship between the turbidite systems, and the structuring observed.
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