French oil major Total and the Government of Mauritania have signed an exploration and production contract to perform exploration works on offshore Block C7.
Total said on Friday that the company would take operatorship of the block with a 90 percent stake.
The remaining ten percent will be held by Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier (SMHPM).
Block C-7 covers part of the northern Mauritania Coastal Basin in water depths over 1,000 meters and covers an area of 7,300 square kilometers.
“This agreement is part of Total’s strategy to explore new deepwater basins in Africa. The addition of the C7 block to our existing C9 deepwater license creates a contiguous exploration area of around 17,000 square kilometers in a high-potential zone in offshore Mauritania,” said Guy Maurice , senior VP of Africa at Total E&P, following his meeting with Mohamed Abdel Vetah , Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Mines of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
The French company also holds a 90 percent interest in the 10,150 square-kilometer C9 exploration license, located in the deep offshore. Total also operates the onshore Ta29 exploration license in the Taoudenni Basin.