BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct.28
By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:
Some ten oil and gas subsoil plots will be sold through an online auction in Kazakhstan, Vice Minister of Energy of the country Zhanat Zhakhmetova said at a briefing of the Central Communications Service, Trend reports referring Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry.
According to Zhakhmetova, from September 1, 2020, persons interested in obtaining the right to subsoil use can apply for participation in the online auction.
"In 2020, ten oil and gas subsoil plots are planned to be sold in Kazakhstan through an electronic auction. The total starting size of the signature bonus is 400 million tenge ($928,563),” she noted. “Currently, more than 30 applications for participation in the auction have been received. The total area of the sites proposed by the state for the development and production of hydrocarbons is about 29,000 square kilometers.”
The vice minister also pointed out that the bidding is scheduled for December 23, 2020 (applications for participation are accepted until November 29). These sites will be the first to be sold electronically.
"Earlier, for holding auctions the participants had to visit the auction rooms, even if a foreign company applied for the sites’ exploration. Now, in the conditions of quarantine and the cancellation of most international flights, auctions will be conducted online, which will save both government agencies and business from significant operating costs", she said.
As earlier reported, the procurement procedure for the domestic subsoil users has been simplified.