Given its interest in unlocking oil and gas growth, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has revealed its plans to award 220 oil blocks, spanning the African country’s onshore and offshore basins, in its latest hydrocarbon licensing bid round. This entails 59 offshore blocks located in deep water.

According to the African Energy Council, NUPRC will hand over 220 open oil blocks to concessionaires upon completing periodic bid rounds and fulfilling conditions. The lion’s share of these blocks is said to fall into the deep offshore terrain category, which encompasses 59 unlicensed blocks.