Oman has announced plans to offer six new oil and gas blocks for investment as part of a new licensing round it plans to kickstart in the first quarter of 2019, according to a local media report.

The new blocks are spread across onshore Oman, the Oman Daily Observer newspaper reported, quoting an official in the Ministry of Oil and Gas. Those to be put on offer are Blocks 70, 73, 74, 75, 76 and 58.

The official has been quoted as saying that the six blocks on offer are located in a new acreage surrounded by existing oil and gas fields.

They will be awarded against Exploration and Production Sharing Agreements (EPSA).

In addition, two other blocks are also open for investment. They are based on "One-to-One" negotiations with "qualified international parties with the technological wherewithal and resources required to unlock the challenging hydrocarbon potential of these concessions," the report said.

The two blocks are Block 71, containing the Habhab field, home to a multi-billion barrel (STOIIP) ultra-heavy oil reservoir, and Block 43B.

According to the official, operations in 29 blocks in the Sultanate are currently being governed by EPSA deals, up from 17 blocks in 2000. Of these 29, about 12 blocks are presently producing hydrocarbons, up from four in 2000.