Oil Blocks in Gorilla Sanctuary Added to Expanded Congo Auction
- Dan Gertler’s former Lake Albert blocks also up for tender
- Ministry adds three gas blocks on Lake Kivu on Rwandan border
The Bageni family in the gorilla sector of Virunga National Park in Bukima, DR Congo.
Photographer: Brent Stirton/Getty Images
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The Democratic Republic of Congo increased the number of oil and gas permits up for auction this month, including in an area that overlaps with the Virunga UNESCO World Heritage site and blocks previously held by Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler.
The call for offers is set to take place July 28 and 29 in the capital, Kinshasa, and will now encompass 27 oil blocks and three gas permits, the oil ministry said in a statement Monday. The ministry previously planned to offer a total of 16 concessions.