Eni SPA has been awarded the three blocks offered in Sharjah’s first international competitive exploration licensing round while expanding further in the Middle East with deals in Oman and Bahrain (OGJ Online, July 2, 2018).
Eni will operate 437-sq-km Concession Area A and 1,184-sq-km Concession Area C with 75% participating interests. Sharjah National Oil Corp. (SNOC) will hold the remaining interests.
In 264-sq-km Area B, SNOC will be operator with a 50% interest, and Eni will hold the remainder.
The three onshore blocks cover most of the emirate.
In Oman, Eni entered an exploration and production sharing agreement for Block 47 covering 8,524 sq km in the Omani A’Dakhiliyah Governate, awarded in a 2017 licensing round.
Eni is operator with a 90% interest. Oman Oil Co. Exploration & Production holds 10%.
The company also has signed a head of agreement with Oman’s Ministry of Oil and Gas and BP setting up principles for the acquisition of exploration and production rights to onshore Block 77. The 3,100-sq-km area is 30 east of Khazzan gas field operated by BP (OGJ Online, Oct. 22, 2018).
Under the agreement, Eni and BP will hold 50% interests each with Eni operating the exploration phase.
In Bahrain, Eni signed a memorandum of understanding with National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) for exploration of Block 1, covering more than 2,800 sq km off the island nation’s northern coast. Water depths in the largely unexplored area are 10-70 m.
Separately, Eni and partner PTT Exploration & Production received rights to two blocks off Abu Dhabi as part of a commercial licensing round launched last April (OGJ Online, Jan. 14, 2019).
