UPDATE 1-Nigeria launches licensing round for marginal oilfields

(Adds DPR announcement, recasts lead and headline)
By Libby George
LAGOS, June 1 (Reuters) - Nigeria has launched its first
licensing round for marginal oilfields in nearly 20 years, the
Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) said on Monday, despite
court rulings last week that barred some of the fields from
being auctioned.
Marginal fields are smaller oil blocks that are typically
developed by indigenous companies. The new licensing round is
the first marginal field round since 2002, which the country
hopes will boost oil output and bring in much-needed revenues
from fees associated with the licences.
"A total of 57 fields located on land, swamp and shallow
offshore terrains are on offer," the DPR said in a statement
posted on its Twitter feed.
Nigeria revoked the existing licenses on the fields so that
they could be put into the new licensing round.
The licensing round was announced even though judges in
Lagos have blocked Nigeria's efforts to revoke two existing
oilfield licences, court documents seen by Reuters showed.
The Ororo field, OML 95, and the Dawes Island Marginal Oil
Field, formerly called OML 54, were among 11 licences revoked by
the Department of Petroleum Resources in April. All 11 were set
to be included in the marginal field licensing round.
Two different judges in Lagos granted decisions on May 27
that halt the inclusion of the two fields in any licensing
round, the court documents seen by Reuters showed.
The DPR said it could not comment on a matter that was
ongoing before the court. The Ministry of Petroleum Resources
did not immediately comment on the rulings.
Owena Oil and Gas Ltd, said in its lawsuit that the DPR
revoked its OML 95 licence "without recourse to the plaintiff,"
court documents seen by Reuters showed. Eurafric Energy
Ltd. challenged the revocation of Dawes Island and said it had
spent money developing the asset, the court documents showed.
Owena Oil and Eurafric Energy were not immediately reachable
for comment.