Mozambique is rich in mineral resources and, according to a government source, the country has already received bids from 13 multinational oil companies for the sixth hydrocarbon exploration and production tender.

According to the unidentified source, quoted by RTP, the multinationals include Exxon Mobil, Rosneft, Totalenergies, the Italian ENI, the Russian Novatec, the Chinese Sinopec, CNOOC, CNPC and Petro China International, Qatar Petroleum, Sasol, from South Africa, the Indian ONGC Videsh, the Irish Discovery Exploration and Aiteo, from Nigeria.

In addition to a proposal from the parent company, Totalenergies submitted a second proposal through one of its corporate arms, Totalenergies EP New Venture.

The source said that the proposals will be evaluated by the National Petroleum Institute, and that "the list of companies will be published on March 31, 2022.

The sixth tender for the concession of areas for hydrocarbon exploration and production was launched on November 25, 2021, and ends on November 30, with the announcement of the results.

The process covers 16 intervention areas: five in the Rovuma basin, seven in Angoche, two in the Zambezi Delta and two in Save, totaling more than 92,000 square kilometers.

One of the regions, the Rovuma basin, under the ocean floor in the open sea off the coast of Cabo Delgado (north of the country), already has areas allocated.

Some of the largest gas reserves in the world have been discovered there and will begin exploration this year.

Mozambique still has areas allocated under the fifth tender, whose prospecting is waiting to begin.