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Monday, December 15, 2014
The Liberian Legislature has extended its Special Session by one week, upon a request by the country’s leader, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The extended issue will allow the pending submission of four undrilled offshore petroleum exploration Blocks LB-6, LB-7, LB-16, and LB-17, with the leases to be concluded before lawmakers depart for their annual break.
Members of the Liberian Senate and the House of Representatives, unanimously and separately, agreed with the extension, which political pundits have described as a ‘mutual agreement’ because there wasn’t a Certificate of Extension for the extra one week. The Liberian Legislature was expected to end its third working session December 12, and proceed on Annual or Constituency Break, previously known as Agriculture Break, according to an earlier Certificate of Extension which took effect November 12.
However President Sirleaf, in her communication to the two Houses, informed the legislature that for the past two months, the NOCAL has been concluding negotiations for the exploration blocks “We are nearing completion of the process, but need more time in order to make a full submission to you,” the President wrote. “I therefore request your consideration of a delay in the closure of your honorable body.”
The blocks under question were from Liberia’s bid round that ended November 14.
“The Government of Liberia in association with the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) is pleased to announce the opening of a Liberia Basin Bid Round, scheduled for August 5, 2014. Four undrilled offshore petroleum exploration Blocks (LB-6, LB-7, LB-16 and LB-17), which were the subject of earlier Bid Rounds have again become available,” the notice on the NOCAL’s website said. “Our goal is to lease Liberian oil blocks only to those companies best suited to both explore for and produce our country’s petroleum resources. All companies seeking to explore in Liberia, including our offshore territories, should expect to meet our high standards for corporate responsibility.”
However, nine of Liberia’s off-shore blocks have already been leased. Block 8, located off the coast of Sinoe County, and Block 9, off the coast of Sinoe and Rivercess Counties, have been leased to European Hydrocarbons Limited. Block 10, off the coast of Rivercess County, were contracted to Anadarko (80%), Mitsubishi (10%) and Repsol (10%); while Blocks 11 and 12, off the coast of Grand Bassa County, were leased to Chevron (45%), Oranto (30%) and ENI (25%). Block 13, off the coasts of Montserrado and Margibi Counties, were contracted to ExxonMobil (80%) and COPL (20%), while Block 14 located in the same areas, were leased to Chevron (45%), Oranto (30%) and ENI (25%). The last of these, Block 15, off the coast of Montserrado and Bomi counties, were leased to Anadarko (47.5%), Repsol (27.5%) and Tullow (25%).
Most of the oil blocks are still undergoing explorations.
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