Dominican Republic set to open first licensing round

June 17, 2019
The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Energy and Mines will open its first licensing round at an event in partnership with Wood Mackenzie July 10, with an offering of 14 blocks.

The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Energy and Mines will open its first licensing round at an event in partnership with Wood Mackenzie July 10, with an offering of 14 blocks.

The offering, which closes in December, includes 10 onshore blocks—6 in the Cibao basin, 3 in the Enriquillo basin, and a single block in the Azua basin, and four offshore blocks in the San Pedro basin.

The Dominican Republic forms part of Hispaniola Island, and lies within the North Caribbean strike-slip plate boundary zone. During World War II, oil production was achieved in Maleno and Higuerito fields. Seismic data for the Enriquillo, San Juan, and Cibao basins is held by the ministry, and recent surface and seismic stratigraphic mapping has clarified the geological story of the area. The existing seismic data identifies undrilled prospects in the Enriquillo basin.