Nigeria/São Tomé JDA launches first licensing round

NIGERIA and São Tomé e Príncipe announced the first licensing round for communal waters in the Gulf of Guinea last month. The round follows the signing of a recent inter-government agreement on access to the acreage, which is split into nine blocks, and the creation of a joint-development authority (JDA) to promote exploration and production in the area. Applications for the nine blocks must be received by 18 October. Each will require a minimum investment of around $30m. Two further blocks will be made available later in the year. The JDA claims the blocks are highly prospective, covering some 28,000 square km in the Gulf of Guinea and lying close to existing discoveries, including Bonga, A