Qatar Petroleum entered into an agreement to acquire a 30% participating interest in the Contractor’s interest under the exploration and production sharing agreement (“EPSA”) for Block 52 offshore Sultanate of Oman.
The parties under the EPSA are the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Contractor, which -upon satisfaction of all Omani Governmental approvals- will comprise of Qatar Petroleum with a participating interest of 30%, Eni with a participating interest of 55%, and Oman Oil Company with a participating interest of 15%.
The Agreement was signed by Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, in a ceremony held at the Ministry of Oil and Gas in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, in the presence of H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhi, Minister of Oil and Gas of the Sultanate of Oman, Mr. Isam Zadjali, CEO of Oman Oil Company and Mr. Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni.
Commenting on this occasion, Mr. Al-Kaabi said: “I would like to thank the Sultanate of Oman, the Ministry of Oil and Gas of the Sultanate of Oman and Oman Oil Company for their trust and support. We are proud to have this opportunity to participate in the exploration and development of the oil and gas resources in the Sultanate of Oman. This agreement represents a stepping-stone towards further mutually rewarding opportunities, where we hope that our cooperation will bring benefits to all involved especially to the Omani oil and gas sector and the people of Oman”.
“We are very pleased to enter into this agreement with our valued partner Eni, with whom we enjoy a close business relationship, which we aspire to strengthen further. I would like to thank the executives of Eni, Oman Oil and Qatar Petroleum and their respective teams who contributed to this important milestone,” Mr. Al-Kaabi concluded.
Block 52, which is largely underexplored, has an area of more than 90,000 km2 and is located in water depths ranging from 10 meters to over 2,000 meters. The Contractor parties will soon embark upon executing an exploration program involving the acquisition and processing of 3D seismic, which will be followed by exploration drilling. Eni is the designated Operator of the block, through its subsidiary Eni Oman B.V.
About Qatar Petroleum
Qatar Petroleum (QP) is a state-owned corporation established by Decree Law No. 10 in 1974. It is responsible for all phases of the oil and gas industry in the State of Qatar.
The principal activities of QP, its subsidiaries and joint ventures are the exploration, production, local and international sale of crude oil, natural gas and gas liquids, liquefied natural gas, refined products, synthetic fuels, petrochemicals, fuel additives, fertilizers, steel and aluminium.
The operations and activities of QP and its affiliates are conducted at various onshore locations, including Doha, Dukhan and the Mesaieed and Ras Laffan Industrial Cities, as well as offshore areas, including Halul Island, offshore production stations, drilling platforms and the North Field.
About ENI
Eni is an integrated energy company employing more than 34.000 people in 69 countries in the world. Eni engages in oil and natural gas exploration, field development and production, as well as in the supply, trading and shipping of natural gas, LNG, electricity and fuels. Through refineries and chemical plants, Eni processes crude oil and other oil-based feedstock to produce fuels, lubricants and chemical products that are supplied to wholesalers or through retail networks or distributors.