Brazil expects to pocket some US$ 1.45 billion from the sixth round of oil and gas block licensing for the pre-salt zone offshore. Reuters reports, citing the special secretary to the Economy Ministry, Waldery Rodriguez, that the total minimum sum of signing bonuses for all the blocks that will be tendered on November 7th is US$ 1.9 billion.
Brazil will hold an offshore oil deposit auction in October featuring blocks that were the object of a long-running dispute with state energy giant Petrobras. Reuters reports, citing Economy Minister Paulo Guedes, that participants in the auction will need to cough up a signing bonus of a total US$26.9 billion for the four blocks.