On 21 November 2018, the Council of Ministers met and agreed on the draft agreement to award the XXVIII (understood to include both XXVIIIA and XXVIIIA) exploration licence to Societe Nationale des Petroles du Congo (SNPC). As is the norm SNPC was awarded the licence but only holds a 15 % interest, Perenco Exploration & Production Congo Ltd (Perenco) operates the area with an 85% stake.  The licence was awarded for a period of two years and in non-renewable.  Perencoâs bid was opened on 29 March 2017.   The 280 sq km area sits atop the shelf within the Lower Congo Basin. It plays host to the 1992 Likoufou Marine 1 oil and gas discovery, the 1992 Likoufou Sud Marine 1 oil and gas discovery, the 1991 Nongo Nord Marine 1 oil and gas discovery and the 1980 Nongo Marine 1 oil discovery. Likoufou Marine 1 is estimated to hold some 30 MMbo and 5,000 MMscf gas. Likoufou Sud Marine 1 is estimated to hold some 1.2 MMbo and 1050 MMscf gas, Nongo Nord Marine 1 is estimated to hold some 6.6 MMbo and 50 MMscf gas and Nongo Marine 1 is estimated to hold less than 1 MMbo.
Perenco (85% op, SNPC 15%) was awarded new PSCs for Marine XXVIII exploration licence. 