The two Ganope concessions, which were tendered in July last year, were awarded to Centurion Energy International of Canada and Quadra Egypt, a joint venture of British Virgin Islands-based Quadra Resourcesand the local Rampex Petroleum International. Quadra Egypt has also signed an agreement with Calgary-based Transglobe Petroleumwhich gives the Canadian company a 50 per cent working interest in the Nuqra concession.

Awards are expected in the third quarter for six blocks tendered in January by Egyptian Natural Gas Company (EGAS). The recently registered oil exploration and services company Tharwais also understood to be negotiating separately for exploration rights to five blocks in the Western Desert and Sinai (MEED 6:2:04; 2:4:04).

Bids are due on 28 September for 15 new exploration blocks in the Nile Delta region, the Western Desert and the Gulf of Suez, which were tendered by Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC). A tender was issued in June by Ganopefor five new blocks in the south, for which bids are due on 16 November (MEED 4:6:04).