Senegal to Award Two Offshore Oil Blocs by Year-End

Senegal will award two offshore oil blocs before the end of the year, the head of state-run hydrocarbons corporation Petrosen said on Wednesday, days after Cairn Energy (CRNZF) announced an oil discovery offshore the West African state.

"These are two blocs in Senegal's north offshore. We already have proposals. We are evaluating the best for the state of Senegal," Petrosen Director General Mamadou Faye said.

Petrosen will keep a third bloc where no research has been carried out for itself. The firm will look for means to explore the bloc, Faye said.

(Reporting by Diadie Ba; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Daniel Flynn)