On offer in Angola’s current licensing round are nine blocks in the Namibe basin — 11, 12, 13, 27, 28, 29, 41, 42 and 43 — and Block 10 in the southern part of the Benguela basin, writes Iain Esau.

The Namibe acreage covers an area of about 50,000 square kilometres, while the lone Benguela block has an area of 4700 square kilometres.