CAPE TOWN, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Gabon officially launched anew 2016 offshore bid round on Tuesday, offering five deepfields as the country aims to boost exploration, Petroleum andHydrocarbons Minister Etienne Dieudonne Ngoubou said.
Announcing the bid round at an African oil and gasconference in Cape Town, Ngoubou said they expected to finalisethe bidding by mid-2016 as explorers look to firm up suggestionsthe country's offshore was similar to Brazil's oil-rich geology. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by James Macharia)