Fatshimetrie, October 14, 2024 – The hydrocarbons sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo has recently been the scene of a major turnaround. Indeed, the tender process for the twenty-seven oil blocks launched in July 2022 was canceled by the Minister of Hydrocarbons, following various irregularities noted.
According to an official press release, this cancellation follows a series of worrying findings issued by the ad hoc committee responsible for evaluating bids. Among the main reasons given, we can cite the absence of applications, inadmissible bids, late submissions, as well as inappropriate or irregular bids. All these elements have hampered the smooth running of the process of awarding hydrocarbon rights in the country.
Faced with this situation, the Minister of Hydrocarbons took the radical decision to cancel the ongoing process, thus meaning a return to square one for the actors involved. This decision is accompanied by a clear desire to quickly restart the process, with the aim of allowing a transparent and fair allocation of exploitation rights for the oil blocks concerned.
This announcement of the cancellation of the call for tenders has sparked various reactions within the economic community and stakeholders in the oil sector in the DRC. While some see it as an opportunity to redefine the terms of the allocation of exploitation rights, others fear a slowdown in the development of the hydrocarbons sector in the country.
In any case, it is undeniable that this decision by the Minister of Hydrocarbons will have significant repercussions on the energy landscape of the DRC. It is now important to closely monitor the next steps that will be put in place to restart this crucial process for the Congolese economy. Let us remain attentive to the evolution of the situation, because the country’s energy future depends in part on it.