Plans to hold Brazil's next oil and gas exploration auction round in August are expected to be approved on April 28, the director of the National Petroleum Agency told Reuters on Wednesday. "We've made a lot of progress in the process. We've held public hearings on the new concession contracts. The auction format is ready. There is enough time to hold it in August," the director, Haroldo Lima, said. Lima also said the approval of the sale of Devon Energy Corp's (DVN.N) Brazilian assets to oil major BP Plc (BP.L)(BP.N) should be reached before the Easter holiday next week. "In my opinion, there are conditions to approve it. There are some technical and political issues, but I think (the sale) will be approved," Lima said in a phone interview.
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