Egypt has set Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 deadlines for two major international tenders for oil and gas exploration spanning 27 onshore and offshore blocks, the oil ministry said May 22.

Bids for 11 blocks offered by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. (EPGC) must be submitted by Oct. 1, the ministry said in an advertisement published in the state-run al-Ahram newspaper.

Companies interested in 16 concession areas offered under state-buyer EGAS must submit their bids by Oct. 8, it said.

The EPGC tenders include five blocks in the Western Desert, two in the Nile Valley, three in the Gulf of Suez and one in the Eastern Desert.

The EGAS tender, described by the ministry as the largest in the company’s history, includes 13 offshore Mediterranean blocks and three in the Nile Delta.