Albania will offer companies interested in oil and gas exploration seven offshore and onshore blocks in June 2015 in a bidding process. Energy ministry wants bids for onshore blocks 4 and 5 in southern and southeastern Albania, and Dumre in central Albania to be handed in by 15 June 2015, while bids for the offshore blocks Ionian 5 and Rodoni, and the onshore blocks Panaja and C, would be accepted until 25 June 2015. Once the bids come in, the Natural Resources Agency will evaluate the offers and recommend the best one to the ministry so that it may negotiate a production-sharing agreement. The companies would be able explore for an initial period of up to 5 years which can be extended to 7 if needed, and they can develop and produce in the block for 25 years.
Offshore oil exploration caused friction between Albania and neighbouring Greece as part of the Ionian 5 block overlaps with the Ionian Sea area in which Greece seeks to search for oil.