A total of 128 awardees that emerged as successful bidders in the 2020 Marginal Field Bid Round have made complete and part payments for signature bonuses in the oil fields, the Federal Government said on Thursday
It also disclosed that 33 awardees did not make payments during the 45 days window given to successful bidders to pay the required signature bonuses for the oil fields and as such had lost their awards to suitably qualified reserve bidders.
The government further disclosed that it had so far garnered about N174bn from the marginal oil field bid round programme.
It disclosed this in Abuja at a meeting with the marginal field awardees and leaseholders where the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission outlined the policy position of government on the 2020 MFBR.
In his keynote address at the meeting, the Chief Executive, NUPRC, Gbenga Komolafe, said efforts were being made to close the bid round and that the commission would support successful awardees who had paid the required signature bonuses.
Komolafe added, “The marginal field guidelines provided for 45 days for the payment of signature bonus which has since elapsed, and we have issued a public notice to that effect as well as notified the relevant potential awardees.
“It is pertinent to inform you that concerted efforts are being made to ensure that the 2020 MFBR exercise is completed within the shortest possible time.”
On May 31, 2021, the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources issued letters of award to investors for the production of crude oil from 57 marginal fields.
