The National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (Agência Nacional de Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis or "ANP") published on the Brazilian Official Gazette, on June 12th, 2015, the 13th Bid Round's preliminary Bid Protocol ("Preliminary Bid Protocol"), which set forth the registration procedures required for the companies interested in participating in the bid round and confirmed for October 7th, 2015 the date of the hearing for bidding procedures. By means of Resolution No. 01/2015, issued by the National Council of Energetic Policy – CNPE, the offered areas represent a total of 266 blocks with exploratory risk, located on the sedimentary basins of Amazonas, Parnaíba, Potiguar (land), Recôncavo, Sergipe-Alagoas (sea), Jacuípe, Camamu-Almada, Espírito Santo (sea), Campos and Pelotas.
ANP´s 13th Bid Round incorporated the new bid round procedures, subject to ANP´s Resolution No. 18/2015, having as its main innovation the inversion of the steps for qualification (legal, financial and technical) and the submission of bids. The national or foreign companies shall enroll individually until August 11th, 2015 by filling an electronic form, forwarding ANP the registration documents and payment of the participation fees.
In order to submit bids, the bidders must present to the ANP, until September 23rd, 2015, bid bonds for the blocks in which they are interested in, with validity as of October 6th, 2015 until the estimated date for the Concession Contract's execution. ANP may enforce the bid bonds presented by the bidders and/or consortiums when they (a) being declared winners of the tender submission's public session, do not obtain the minimum qualification required for the sector's tender submission object, (b) being declared winners of the bid submission's public session, do not sign the Concession Contract within the period specified by ANP, (c) are not able to keep the qualification conditions until the Concession Contract's execution, or (d) within the bid round's scope incur in any act which demonstrates willful misconduct or bad faith.
On July 9th, 2015 ANP shall hold a consultation and public hearing at its Rio de Janeiro's headquarters to receive suggestions, provide background information and additional instructions regarding the Preliminary Bid Protocol and draft Concession Contract. The deadline for sending suggestions and contributions to the documents is 5 p.m. of July 2nd, 2015.
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