By an OGJ correspondent
BANGKOK, Aug. 30 -- Thailand's Department of Mineral Resources has received three additional applications in its 20th round of petroleum concession bidding, raising the total number of applicants to 31 involving 24 tracts.
The second monthly submission deadline that ended on Aug. 15 saw Mitra Energy Ltd. of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, vying with Singapore-based Pearl Energy—the 50:50 Australian partnership of Carnarvon Petroleum Ltd. and Sun Resources NL—and its subsidiary Pearl Oil (Petroleum) Ltd.
Pearl Energy applied for L20/50, a 3,947-sq km onshore block in the central plains.
Pearl Oil bid for Block G2/50, a 1,123-sq km tract that encompasses three areas in the Gulf of Thailand near the Thai-Cambodian disputed waters.
Mitra Energy sought onshore Block L45/50, covering an area of 3,983-sq km west of Bangkok.
The first submission of the 20th round ended July 16. In that tender, 28 petroleum companies submitted applications for 21 exploration blocks—14 onshore and 7 in the Gulf of Thailand (OGJ Online, July 26, 2007).
