companies whose names were not disclosed. Following inquires by the Petroleum Affairs Commission, the National Petroleum Council recognized deficiencies in the awarding process and ordered a formal investigation. The Attorney General, after concluding that the procedures used in selecting petroleum companies was flawed, recommended a restructuring of the procedures for future bidding rounds that would conform to international standards. The Attorney General’s report also called for the reexamination of ERHC’s preferential rights for Blocks 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 within the JDZ. Since 2006, there has been no word on any of the reexamination of ERHC's preferential rights and the countries of Sao Tome and Nigeria are moving forward with the exploration of the JDZ for oil. In or about July 2009 there are scheduled two oil rigs to start exploration and drilling of petroleum reserves within blocks 2-4 and ERHC is predominant in these blocks. With the possible acquisition of Addax Petroleum by Sinopec, and with the reports of Sinopec looking into acquiring ERHC, it is looking more like Sinopec will be the mainstay of the JDZ for Sao Tome and Nigeria in this area. References São Tomé and Príncipe Economy of São Tomé and Príncipe