(Arabian Oil and Gas) -- Total announced that it has signed an agreement with CNOOC Middle East (Qatar) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC International Limited, to acquire a 25% interest in Qatar's Block BC (pre-Khuff) exploration license. CNOOC Middle East (Qatar) Limited will continue to be the operator with a 75% interest.
Located 130 kilometers east of the Qatari coast, the offshore block covers an area of 5,649 square kilometers, with water depths ranging from 15 to 35 meters.
Commenting on Total's participation in the Block BC EPSA, His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh AI-Sada, Qatar's Minister of Energy and Industry said ⌠We would like to welcome our long time partner, Total, into the Block BC EPSA, and we wish them and CNOOC all success with the exploration activities, which we believe are always enhanced when quality companies such as Total and CNOOC join efforts.