The government said the 27 oil blocks available have an estimated 22 billion barrels. Residents say drilling has inched closer to their homes and they have seen pipes break regularly, sending oil into the soil. Three companies — two American andone Canadian — moved on three methane gas blocks in Lake Kivu, on the border with Rwanda. There are no known confirmed deals on the 27 oil blocks, and the deadline for expressions of interest has been extended through this year. In Kimpozia village, near one of the areas up for auction, some 150 people live nestled in the forest without a school or hospital.
