As of early July 2020, the Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) declared that over 600 companies have applied to be prequalified for the 2nd Marginal Fields Bid Round launched on 1 June. The initial registration period lasted until 21 June, after a short extension period. The DPR is now evaluating the applications and is understood to be able to announce the prequalified bidders in the next days or weeks (originally planned on 5 July). The full revised schedule of the auction is detailed in a separate article.  Interested parties are invited to visit the DPR portal for the exercise (https://marginal.dpr.gov.ng/). Further enquiries will be sent to info@dpr.gov.ng and marginal@dpr.gov.ng or asked through phone at +234 (1) 27 900 00 or +234 (1) 90 371 50.    Although the process is primarily designed for Nigerian oil companies in order to acquire petroleum permits, foreign companies can also apply as long as 51% operated interest is kept by an indigenous party.   The contributors of the 57 marginal fields (undeveloped assets) are mainly the five Majors ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, Total and Eni, active in Niger Delta for decades. They were requested by the authorities to release some of their non-core business assets. In April 2020, the DPR also revoked ten permits operated by indigenous companies with intention to put them on offer in the bid round, considering the companies were inactive. However, these companies are now contesting this decision and secured in early June a joint order of the Federal High Court of Nigeria.  The below map provides with a visual representation of the Nigerian marginal blocks offered in 2020 (the small red outlines). They are located onshore, in swamps and in the shallow waters of Niger Delta. This image also indicates the existing blocks of the five Majors from which most of the marginal fields were carved out.
Nigeria (Niger Delta), as of early July 2020, the Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) declared that over 600 companies have applied to be prequalified for the 2nd Marginal Fields Bid Round launched on 1 June.