ABSTRACT
International agency assistance for petroleum exploration and development in the LDCs has been made available mainly from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and from the World Bank Group, with a few loans from the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). Modest grants for mineral surveys in developing countries have been made by the UNDP for more than two decades. The UNDP has supported geological surveys and has provided training for employees of GOEs and assistance on petroleum legislation and in negotiations with petroleum companies. However, the UNDP has provided little financial assistance for exploration because such activities are too costly in view of that agency’s limited budget. 1
