Madagascar unveils new offshore acreage

The island nation hopes it can emulate hydrocarbons finds in neighbouring Mozambique

Madagascar launched its first licensing round since 2006 in November, offering 44 offshore blocks in the Morondava Basin off the western coast, covering acreage totalling 63,296km². The launch, at the annual Africa Oil Week conference, came just one day before Madagascar held its first round of presidential elections. But officials at Omnis, the state body overseeing the round, decided to push ahead with the launch to take advantage of the showcase offered by the Cape Town event. They hope any change of political leadership will not affect the licensing timetable. "We have already missed a lot of opportunities to promote our resources… we don't want to miss any more occasions," Voahangy Niri