On 10 July 2019 the Republica Dominicanaâs Ministerio de Energia y Minas (MEM) unveiled in Houston, the 14 blocks offered in the Dominican Republic 1st Licensing Round â 10 Onshore and four offshore. Publication of qualified companies will be on 8 November 2019, with winners announcement on 27 November 2019. The Production Sharing Contract (PSC) model will be used in the round, which is will conclude in December 2019. The exploration period for onshore is eight years, and for offshore 10-years. Below the list of the blocks offered:  Â           Basin         Blocks         Seismic         Wells Drilled         Prospectivity             Cibao         CB1         ~630 km 2D         16 - MD 1,000-12,000 ft         Four wells with gas shows, Two oil   seeps             CB2         At least three plays in the basin             CB3         Several potential prospects             CB4                CB5                CB6         Â              Enriquillo         EN1         ~1,000 km 2D         Nine wells - MD 500-15,800 ft         Nine wells drilled             EN2         Basin with the most seismic   coverage on the island             EN3         At least three plays in the basin             Â          Several undrilled prospects   identified             Azua         AZ1         ~40 km 2D         58 wellsÂ  - MD 300-13,000 ft         Proved petroleum system with two   existing fields - Maleno and Higuerito                 At least three plays in the basin             Â          Several oil seeps in the central   part of the basin             San Pedro de Macoris         SP1         ~1,900 km 2D         Three wells         Proved petroleum system with oil   shows in the onshore part of the basin             SP2         At least three plays in the basin             SP3         San Pedro -1, showed paraffin and   light oil with 30Â° API             SP4         Â         Â   Below MEMâs issued timeline:    MEM - Timeline  In June 2019 MEM officially announced its plans for the countryâs first bid round with 14 blocks. The onshore blocks are located - Cibao Basin: Six Enriquillo Basin: 3, and Azua Basin: 1. Four blocks will be offer offshore in the San Pedro Basin. The Roadshow will take place in Houston on 10 July 2019.   The Base Nacional de Datos de Hidrocarburos (BNDH), the national digital archive which contains geological and geophysical information for the country starting in 1903 till 2013 was developed by a third party and presented in 2016. It has 21,500 km of seismic lines, 1,490 maps and plans, 805 seismic profiles, 212 wells â which the ministry estimates it has an acquisition cost of USD 145 million. The MEM identified six potential zones for hydrocarbons, the basins: Enriquillo, Azua, San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris, Ocoa and Cibao Oriental.  Background Information  In early December 2018 the Minister of Energy and Mines signed USD 1.07 million contract with a consulting company for the evaluation, planning, promotion and execution of a Bid Round for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons. The tender to hire consulting services was first announced in May 2018, with nine companies from five countries presenting proposals -Â  âThe country has to make the leap to reduce its dependence on oil imports in all ways and one of the most important is to promote the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons, especially gas, both for its economic and environmental benefitsâ, said the Minister Antonio Isa Conde.   The Minister of MEM Antonio Isa Conde presented in late August 2018 the âInformes de Trabajos 2014-2018â, which reports the work that has been done since the creation of the ministry in 2013.Â      The first hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation regulation were issued in 2016 through the decrees 83-16. The contract for exploration and production of hydrocarbons was issued in early May 2018. According to the contract, the exploration period of the contracted area may be up to six (6) years following the signing of the contract and may be extended for up to four (4) additional one-year periods. Modification of this term and its extensions shall be authorized by decree. The exploitation period of the Contracted Area may be for up to twenty (20) years and a maximum of two (2), five-year extensions each. The first extension may be requested upon reaching seventy-five percent (75%) of. the term of the contract granting the rights for the exploration and exploitation of Hydrocarbons, Oil Reservoirs or other Hydrocarbon substances, while the second extension may be requested when fifty percent (50%) of the term of the first one has elapsed.     Background Information    In early June 2011, no additional information had been received concerning a possible bid round in 2011. In September 2010, the Industry and Trade Industry's Mining Department director, Octavio Taveras, announced that the Dominican Republic planned to launch an international oil exploration round in 2011. The announcement follows reports of a new oil seep in Higuey, La Altagracia province in the eastern part of the country. GHGeochem in the UK analyzed samples and reported that the oil seep is better quality than that found in Azua province. An assistance agreement is being finalized with MDOIL whereby the company will help characterize potential hydrocarbon bearing sedimentary basins in the country including the exclusive economic zone. The declaration follows a late 2009 announcement made by the department that Madrid's Complutense University found traces of natural gas in marine sediments in an area known as the Muertos Trough offshore. The Directorate is waiting for authorization from the president to sign a contract with MDOIL which hopes to expand the study to include all the basins in the country and to correlate them with the previous data.   In early September 2010, there were no tenders planned for oil and gas exploration. Interested companies can approach the ministry directly concerning any of the seven identified basins. The onshore areas that have been outlined as potential opportunities are in Bahoruco, Samana, Azua and Maria Trinidad Sanchez provinces, and offshore in Ocoa and Samana Bays and Banco de la Plata. However, the country's 1958 hydrocarbons law must be updated as the regulatory framework is not clearly defined and does not attract investors.
On 10 July 2019 the Republica Dominicanaâs Ministerio de Energia y Minas (MEM) unveiled in Houston, the 14 blocks offered in the Dominican Republic 1st Licensing Round â 10 Onshore and four offshore. Publication of qualified companies will be on 8 November 2019, with winners announcement on 27 November 2019. 