On January 17, 2013, the Government of the Republic of the Union
of Myanmar ("Myanmar"), through its Ministry of Energy,
invited bids for 18 onshore oil and gas blocks in what is
Myanmar's second international petroleum licensing round (the
"2013 Bid Round"). 15 of the blocks are to be awarded
through Production Sharing Contracts and three through Improved
Petroleum Recovery Contracts. Expressions of interest in the 2013
Bid Round are required not later than two months after the date of
the invitation.
The 2013 Bid Round follows much publicized measures to improve
Myanmar as a foreign investment destination, including the
promulgation of Myanmar's new Foreign Investment Law, signed
into law on November 3, 2012, and the easing of economic sanctions
by the United States,1 the European Union, and other
nations. The 2013 Bid Round should also be considered against
the backdrop of previous Production Sharing Contract awards in
Myanmar, including those arising from an international petroleum
licensing round held in 2011 (the "2011 Bid
Round").
The process for the 2013 Bid Round can be summarized as
follows:
- Bidders must submit a Letter of Expression of Interest, together with certain supporting documentation.
- A pre-qualification and selection process will be conducted.
- Pre-qualified bidders will be provided with a general overview of each block, consisting of representative data and information.
- The Energy Planning Department will provide bidders with, and explain, the Standard Terms and Conditions.
- Bidders will be able to submit separate proposals for up to three blocks, along with their proposed Terms and Conditions.
- Bidders' proposed Terms and Conditions will be assessed, and the "best offered" Terms and Conditions will be selected.
One provision of interest in the 2013 Bid Round invitation is
that foreign bidders must cooperate with at least one "Myanmar
national owned company" registered at the Energy Planning
Department. Prospective bidders for the 2013 Bid Round may contact
the Energy Planning Department for a list of Myanmar national owned
companies. This was not a requirement of the 2011 Bid Round
invitation, although cooperation with local companies was
ultimately a feature of that process.
Also of note is that the second bid round was initially expected to
commence in early 2012 and include both onshore and offshore
blocks. However, the bid round was delayed following
transparency concerns by oil majors. Of interest, therefore,
are the timing, extent and terms of future bid rounds for offshore
blocks.
Footnotes
1. See Jones Day Commentary, Eased Sanctions Widen Doorway to Myanmar Oil and Gas Sector (August 2012).
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