Thirty-seven companies have so far qualified to take part in Brazil’s 13th licensing round to be held in October this year.

Among the companies given the green light, there are 22 international oil firms and 15 Brazilian ones.

According to the ANP, Brazil’s oil and gas regulator, the companies taking part come from seventeen different countries: Angola, Argentina, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, United States, France, Holland, Japan, Norway, Panama, Portugal, United Kingdom, Russia and Thailand.

Aside from the ever-present, local oil giant Petrobras, there are some well know international names interested in obtaining new Brazilian acreage, most notably, ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Statoil, Anadarko, CNOOC, Rosneft, PTTEP, and Ecopetrol. (The full list can be found on the ANP website)

The 13th bidding round for offshore and onshore exploration blocks in Brazil will offer 266 blocks in 22 sectors, spread across 125.000 km2 in twelve states. The bidding is scheduled to start on October 7, 2015.

The ANP will offer seven onshore blocks in the Amazonas basin and 22 in Parnaíba. In mature basins, 71 blocks will be included in the Potiguar Basin and 85 in the Reconcavo basin. A total number of 185 onshore blocks will be available for bidding.

Offshore, the bidding round will offer areas in basins off Brazil’s eastern shore. In the northeast, ANP will offer 10 blocks in the Sergipe-Alagoas basin, four in the Jacuípe and nine in the Camamu-Almada basins respectively.

In the southeast region, seven blocks will be put up for grabs in the Espirito Santo Basin and three in the Campos Basin.

Furthermore, in the south, the licensing round will offer 51 blocks in the Pelotas Basin. In total, 84 offshore blocks will be offered to interested companies.

http://www.offshoreenergytoday.com/several-oil-majors-set-to-bid-for-brazilian-acreage-in-october/