Two agreements on petroleum exploration were laid before Parliament yesterday following the discovery of oil in the country. The agreements are between the government, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Oranto Petroleum International Limited, Stone Energy Ghana Limited and Vitol Upstream Ghana Limited. They are in respect of Offshore Saltpond Contract Area and Offshore Cape Three Points South Contract Area, Mr Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker, who was in the chair, referred the papers to the House Select Committee on Energy for consideration and report. A credit facility between the government and the Government of Belgium/ICBC Bank NV of Belgium for 5,383,822.22 euros for the second phase of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Project, was also laid before the House. Also laid before Parliament, was a developing Financing agreement of 100 million dollars between the government and the International Development Association for the Sixty Poverty Reduction Support Credit which Mr Blay referred to the Select Committee on Finance for consideration and report. Later, the House took the Chieftaincy Bill through the consideration stage during which members made amendments to some aspects of it. The Bill seeks to consolidate amendments to the Chieftaincy Act, 1971 (Act 370) to bring it into conformity with the provision on the subject in the constitution and also to include new proposals. It also consolidates eight pieces of enactments which are amendments to the Act. Source: The Ghanaian Times