AfrOil: QatarEnergy acquires 40% of C-10 block offshore Mauritania

QatarEnergy has signed an agreement with Shell (UK) to acquire a 40% working interest in the C-10 block, located offshore Mauritania.

In a statement, the state-controlled Qatari company noted that the deal was still subject to approval from the Mauritanian government. Once approval is obtained, it said, QatarEnergy will gain a 40% stake in the exploration and production agreement (EPA) covering the C-10 block. Shell (UK), the operator, will have a 50% stake, while the national oil company (NOC), known as Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures (SMH), will retain the remaining 10% interest.

C-10 lies within the MSGBC basin, which spreads across the offshore zones of Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea (Conakry). It covers an area of approximately 11,500 square km and is about 50 km off the coast of Mauritania in water depths that range from about 50 to 2,000 metres.