As part of efforts to boost the country’s oil income, Sudan on Wednesday offered three oil and gas blocks for exploration and development to India's ONGC Videsh.

Oil minister, Mohamed Zayed Awad, declared this after a meeting with the Indian counterpart Dharmendra Pradhan ahead of a two-day India-Africa Hydrocarbon summit. He noted that the three areas offered to the Indian company, includes blocks 8, 15 and 24. He revealed that he also asked ONGC to think about purchase a stake in Sudan's Block 17, which currently producing about 7,000 bo/d.

Sudan lost a great part of its oil revenue when South Sudan seceded in 2011 and at the moment, produces about 100,000 bpd.

ONGC Videsh, is the overseas investment arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp.it already has a 25 % share in onshore blocks 1, 2, and 4, which jointly produce about 50,000 bpd, Reuters reports.

Anita Fatunji