Madagascar: Tsimiroro heavy oil field declared commercial

Madagascar Oil has declared its Tsimiroro discovery on Block 3104 commercial and plans to trial sales of its heavy crude to supply local power plants (AE 275/13). The London-listed company has 180 days from 8 May to submit a field development plan to state resource company Office des Mines Nationales et des Industries Stratégiques (Omnis) for approval. A management committee with members from Madagascar Oil and Omnis will then decide whether the discovery could be commercially exploitable, and Omnis will apply for a presidential decree for a mining title to cover an initial 25-year exploitation period.