E&P

The collaboration will define a framework for providing subsurface data across Morocco's onshore and offshore basins. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Geosciences specialist Viridien has announced a multi-client collaboration agreement with the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM), Morocco's national agency for hydrocarbon and mineral resource development, defining a joint framework for providing integrated subsurface data and analytics across Morocco's extensive and underexplored offshore and onshore sedimentary basins

Through this collaboration, Viridien and ONHYM are looking to set new standards for subsurface evaluation, technical rigour and knowledge exchange, reinforcing Morocco's standing as a compelling destination for hydrocarbon investment in North Africa.

Amina Benkhadra, CEO of ONHYM, said, “This collaboration reflects ONHYM’s commitment to fostering innovation and international partnerships that unlock Morocco’s hydrocarbon potential. By combining our regional expertise and geoscientific knowledge with Viridien’s advanced technologies and capabilities, we are creating a powerful platform to enhance subsurface understanding, attract investment and accelerate exploration opportunities across Morocco.”

Dechun Lin, head of Earth Data, Viridien, said, “This collaboration marks a pivotal moment for Viridien as we deepen our presence in Africa and forge an enduring, partnership-driven relationship with ONHYM. By integrating our industry-leading imaging and data science capabilities with ONHYM's regional expertise, we are well positioned to support Morocco’s hydrocarbon potential.”

The development comes as Morocco, which remains heavily dependent on imported energy, is accelerating exploration and infrastructure development for gas in particular, both onshore and offshore, with a view to diversifying energy supply for growing power generation and industry demands. Several key basins, both onshore and offshore, are demonstrating commercial gas potential.

Studies indicate total recoverable resources of up to 43mn barrels of oil. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

OMV has announced that its Essar well in Libya’s Sirte Basin is commercially viable, following the completion of technical and economic studies

The well is in the concession area C 103, where OMV holds a 12% interest.

Zueitina Oil Company will be responsible for developing the field, where studies indicate total recoverable resources of up to 43mn barrels of oil. Due to its proximity to existing production and processing facilities, the field can be developed quickly and brought on stream in a cost-efficient manner, OMV says.

OMV has a long history of exploration and production of oil and gas in North Africa, in close cooperation with local partners, and the region plays an important role in the company’s upstream growth strategy. Libya is a core focus, where the company has been active for around 50 years with a long-standing partnership with the NOC. At the end of 2024, the company resumed exploration activities in Libya after an interruption of more than ten years.

“The Essar discovery is a major milestone for OMV and our partners at the NOC. It confirms not only Libya’s considerable potential, but also the value of long-term partnerships, technical excellence, and our unwavering commitment on the ground. Strategic collaborations such as this are essential to providing the energy the world needs,” said Berislav Gašo, OMV executive vice president Energy.

Strong potential

The recent discovery is good news for Libya, and is a further indication of its energy potential. Libya holds Africa’s largest proven oil reserves and its fifth largest gas reserves. Libya’s oil production currently stands at around 1.4mn bpd, its highest level since 2013. Libya’s NOC is keen to revitalise the country’s oil and gas industry and aims to produce 1.6mn bpd by the end of 2026, rising to 2mn bpd in the medium term, seeing the participation of international companies as crucial to achieving its growth plans. Libya’s efforts to boost oil and gas production following years of civil war have met with considerable success. In recent developments, Eni, in partnership with the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) through the Mellitah Oil & Gas joint venture, has started hydrocarbon production enabled by the Sabratha Compression Project, a strategic offshore development designed to boost gas output from the Bahr Essalam gas field, located around 100 km off the coast.

NOC has signed production sharing agreements recently with Spain’s Repsol, in partnership with the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO); and Eni, in partnership with QatarEnergy and MOL Group, with its partners, Repsol and Türkiye Petrolleri A. O. (TPAO). Five blocks were recently awarded in Libya’s recent bid round, its first in eighteen years, which attracted significant international interest.

The agreement signing. (Image source: QatarEnergy)

QatarEnergy, with its partners Shell and Sonangol E&P has signed an agreement with Angola’s National Agency for Oil, Gas, and Biofuels (ANPG) to hold interests in Blocks 8 and 22 offshore the Republic of Angola

Under the agreement, and subject to the relevant governmental approvals and final contractual arrangements, QatarEnergy will hold a 30% working interest, while Shell (the operator) will hold 50%, and Sonangol will hold 20% in the two offshore blocks.

For QatarEnergy, the agreement marks another important step in advancing its ambitious international exploration strategy, with maximising value from upstream being one of its five key strategic pillars in its vision to be one of the best energy companies in the world.

QatarEnergy acquired a 40% stake in the North Rafah block, offshore Egypt in October 2025, following hard on the heels of the acquisition of a 27% participating interest in the North Cleopatra block offshore Egypt, operated by Shell. QatarEnergy has also acquired exploration licences in the Republic of Congo, Algeria and Namibia.

His Excellency Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the president and CEO of QatarEnergy, said: “QatarEnergy is pleased to sign this agreement and to establish a presence in the energy sector of the Republic of Angola as part of our international upstream exploration strategy and growth efforts. We would like to thank the Angolan authorities, and our partners Shell and Sonangol, for their cooperation and support. We look forward to a longstanding and fruitful partnership.”

The agreement was signed in the Angolan capital Luanda on the sidelines of the Angola Oil & Gas Conference, where the Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, highlighted the contribution of oil activity to the diversification of the economy and outlined the main lines of the Executive's vision for the sector.

ANPG formalised a series of offshore entries, risk-service contracts and other agreements with international oil companies at the show, advancing exploration across the Kwanza and Congo Basins.

Sonangol presentations emphasised the national oil company's contribution to boosting the market, attracting capital, and consolidating strategic partnerships.

The concession benefits from a highly strategic offshore location. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Joint Oil Exploration, Exploitation and Petroleum Services Company (Joint Oil), a joint venture between Libya and Tunisia, has announced the opening of a new bid round on 7 September for development of the promising Zarat discovery and further exploration of the Joint Oil Block border acreage

Located in the prolific Gabes-Tripoli Basin of the central Mediterranean, this offshore acreage represents a premier opportunity for cross-border energy cooperation between Tunisia and Libya. Moyes & Co., a global upstream advisory firm, has been engaged to seek industry partners for two separate commercial packages:

• Exploration: Further exploration of the Joint Oil Block for new plays, leads, and prospects under an Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement (EPSA). The area concerned spans 3,000 sq km in water depth of 80-120m, with seismic data covering 6,500km of 2D & 1,900km of 3D. Wells: Zohra-1 (1976), El Amal South 1 (1999), Besmah-1 (2002), El Amal North 1 (2002), Zarat North 1 (2010). Surrounding producing fields: El Bouri, El Jurf and Bihr El Salam in Libya; Hasdrubal, Ashtart, Miskar & Didon in Tunisia.

• Development: Development of the Zarat Discovery — which straddles the Tunisia-Libya border— as a unitised oil and gas resource. This will be governed by a Development and Production Sharing Agreement (DPSA), Unitisation Agreement (UA), Unit Operating Agreement (UOA), and Operating Services Contract (OSC).

The bid round will close on 31 December 2026.

Credible companies with proven offshore exploration and development capability are invited to apply for access to the Virtual Data Room (VDR) managed by Moyes. Bids must be received by 8 January 2027. Winning bidders will be informed by 26 February 2027, with formal awards expected by 30 April 2027.

The bid round opportunity will be presented at the London Mediterranean, Middle East & Africa Scout Group (MMEA) on 9 September 2026 and at the World Energy Summit in London on 29-30 September 2026 where Joint Oil will also be present at a booth.

Strong potential

Joint Oil has highlighted the exceptional potential of the Joint Oil Block and the Zarat Discovery, strategically positioned along the southern margin of the Pelagian Basin within the geological extension of the Sabratha–Gabes Basin. 

The concession benefits from a highly strategic offshore location near several major producing fields across the Sabratha–Gabes Basin, including Al Jurf, Bahr Essalam, and Bouri offshore Libya, as well as Ashtart, Didon, and Miskar offshore Tunisia. This positioning enhances the project’s long-term value proposition through access to established regional infrastructure, operational synergies, and export pathways.

Bordered by active Libyan exploration zones and major offshore concessions, the Joint Oil Block and Zarat discovery further underscore the substantial untapped hydrocarbon potential of the shared Tunisian-Libyan offshore basin, reinforcing its attractiveness as a high-impact exploration and development opportunity for investors and strategic partners. Zarat is the largest discovery in offshore Tunisia since the Miskar discovery in 1975, and is the largest undeveloped field in offshore Tunisia. Contingent resources at Zarat attributable to the Joint Oil Block totals 158 mmboe.

Joint Oil is a joint venture between Libya and Tunisia through the national companies, the Tunisian Corporation of Petroleum Activities (ETAP) and Ola Energy Holdings Ltd. (OLA Energy). The company has managed hydrocarbon resources within the Tunisia-Libyan offshore acreage since 1988.