The Democratic Republic of Congo has revoked an oil exploration licence awarded to Tullow Oil after the company failed to pay a signing-on bonus, according to reports.
"We have decided to make one of these blocks available because they have not paid their signing on bonus," Hydrocarbons Minister Lambert Mende told Reuters, without naming a date for the new licensing round.
It was not immediately clear which block - Tullow holds two in DR Congo - Mende was referring to when he spoke to the news agency.
"I have told Tullow that they can submit their bids along with all the other companies," he said. "They never owned the block because they have never paid anything for it."
No one from Tullow was immediately available for comment when contacted by UpstreamOnline about the reports.
According to its website, Tullow holds a 48.5% operating stake in blocks I and II in the prospective Albertine Graben, with the remainder shared by its partners Heritage Oil and Congolese company Cohydro.
The blocks cover 6500 square kilometres over the onshore and offshore acreage in the DR Congo sector of the Albertine Graben which extends into neighbouring Uganda.
Tullow said on its site its planned work programme forthe block includes a number of technical studies ahead of a 400 kilometre 2D seismic shoot during the first licence period.
The government of President Joseph Kabila, who won landmark post-war elections last year, has voted to closely review resources contracts signed under previous administrations.
Earlier this month, gunmen on the Uganda side of Lake Albert attacked a boat operated by Heritage Oil, killing a British contractor. The Ugandan government said three armed patrol boats from Congo had opened fire on Heritage's boat.
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