Qatar Petroleum has entered into an agreement with Italian oil major Eni and French energy giant Total to enter three exploration blocks in Kenya.
The agreement is subject to customary regulatory approvals by the government of Kenya. Following such approval, the partners comprising the consortium will consist of affiliates of each of Eni (the operator) with a 41.25 per cent participating interest, Total with a 33.75 per cent participating interest, and Qatar Petroleum with a 25 per cent participating interest.
Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, and president & CEO of Qatar Petroleum, said: “We are pleased to sign this agreement to participate in exploring these frontier offshore areas in Kenya and to further strengthen our presence in Africa.”
Al-Kaabi added: “We hope that the exploration efforts are successful, and we look forward to collaborating with our valuable partners Eni and Total, and the government of Kenya in these blocks. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Kenyan authorities and our partners for their ongoing and continued support.”
The three offshore blocks (L11A, L11B and L12) are situated in what is considered to be a frontier and largely unexplored area in the Lamu basin east of Kenya and have a total area of approximately 15,000 sq km, with water depths ranging from about 1000 meters to 3,000 meters.
In line with its growth strategy, this opportunity strengthens Qatar Petroleum’s position in the exploration of frontier basins with significant hydrocarbon resource potential, a company statement said.
