In August 2005, BHP Billiton (Australian), Hunt Oil (U.S.), and Neptune Petroleum (U.K.) signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Namibias Ministry for Mines and Energy. The MoUs allow the companies exploration rights for two years, with the option to renew the licenses at the end of that period. In March 2005, EnerGulf Resources (Canada) signed an MoU with the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) to jointly explore and develop offshore Block 1171, which is located along the maritime border with Angola.
In May 2005, the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) offered OphirEnergy (Austria), Statoil (Norway) and Petrobras (Brazil) production sharing agreements (PSAs). In October 2005, Ophir Energy signed the PSA for Block One, while Statoil and Petrobras are still negotiating contracts for their PSAs. In 2004, TPDC signed with Petrobras for deepwater Block Five, off Mafia Island and with Maurel & Prom (France) for acreage along the coast. Shell has yet to finalize an agreement for Blocks 9 - 12 near Zanzibar and Pemba Islands, which it won over two years ago
In February 2005, Mozambique launched its second offshore licensing round for blocks in the northern Rovuma basin. In June 2005, the Mozambican Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) and the South African petrochemical company Sasol signed an agreement with the Mozambican government for Blocks 16 and 19 off the southern coast of Mozambique. Seismic studies and exploratory drilling on the blocks are expected to cost $7 million. In May 2006, the Mozambican government awarded Norsk Hydro two concessions in the Rovuma basin and companies Eni, Petrobras and Petronas are seeking concessions in the basin as Well.