Nigeria has extended the closing date for submission of bids in the 2005 bid round for 63 oil blocks to June 17, state media reported Friday.

Tony Chukwueke, technical adviser to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the extension would "enable the technical committee on the licensing round to clarify issues concerning the exercise."

"It will also allow more bidders to make submissions," Chukwueke said.

The bid round, which opened since April 29, was initially scheduled to end at the end of May.

Chukwueke invited bidders to visit the 2005 bid round website on www.Nigeria2005bidround.com for more understanding of the process.

He also assured bidders that the bidding conference to be held in August in Nigeria's capital Abuja would be transparent.

Nigeria, Africa's top oil producer, put 63 oil blocks on offer in March.

Among them, 12 blocks are located at the deep offshore while six each at the southern Niger Delta shallow waters and onshore. There are also 16 blocks, 12 blocks and 11 blocks at the little- known inland basins of Anambra, Chad and Benue respectively.

Source: Xinhua