Total has announced that it has signed an exploration and production sharing agreement for block 41 offshore Oman
The agreement was awarded by the Oman government following an exploration round launched by the Omani government in November 2012, Total said.
Located off the Omani coast northwest of Muscat, block 41 covers an unexplored area of almost 24,000 sq km, in water depths ranging from 30 to more than 3,000 metres, the company said.
Arnaud Breuillac, president - Middle East at Total Exploration & Production, commented, “We are honoured and delighted to have been selected by the Omani government and look forward to evaluating the potential of this exciting block.
“This acquisition is aligned with Total’s ambitious exploration strategy focused on frontier basins and new plays with strong potential,” he added.
The exploration programme is expected to begin with seabed coring in 2014.
“For Total, this new entry into the ultra deep offshore waters of Oman bolsters other recent additions to our exploration portfolio. We are pleased to be able to harness our deep offshore expertise to work for the Sultanate of Oman, with whom we have shared a common history since 1937,” Breuillac added.
According to Total, its production in Oman reached 37,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2012, with the group producing oil primarily on block 6 as well as on block 53.
The group also produces LNG through its stake in the Oman LNG/Qalhat LNG liquefaction plant, which has a capacity of 10.5mn tons per year, it said.
