Nov 16, Colombo: Sri Lankan government will offer eight to ten offshore oil blocks for bidding in early December, Saliya Wickramasuriya, the Director General of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation said.

Following the discovery of gas and liquid hydrocarbons deposits in two out of the three wells drilled last year by Cairn Lanka, this year the government has decided to offer up to 10 offshore blocks in the Cauvery and Manner basins.

Sri Lanka has decided to expand the oil exploration activities from Mannar in the northwest to Galle in the South next year.

The official said that the blocks would be offered in the bidding round that could be kept open till around April to May 2013.

Around five large oil companies including Russia's Gazprom and Petro Vietnam have expressed interest in oil blocks in Sri Lanka, according to Sri Lanka's Petroleum Development Secretariat. Sri Lanka has expressed interest to offer oil blocks to India and China as well.