Portfuel won the contract to search for oil off Aljezur and Tavira in a deal signed days before the 2015 general elections with the previous government.
While the ENRC chief said it was not his organisation’s role to scrutinise the deal, he raised serious doubts over Portfuel missing a series of deadlines in which to hand over required documentation to validate the contract, and said there are enough reasons to cancel the contracts with Portfuel. Portfuel chairman Sousa Cintra has countered these arguments, telling Diário de Notícias on Thursday, that his company has complied with all the obligations contained in the contract it signed with the previous government, which took place a week before the general elections.