Eni acquires rights in three new exploration licenses in Mozambique

Block A5-B is located about 1300 km northeast of the capital Maputo, in a completely unexplored area off the city of Angoche. It has an area of 6080 km², at a water depth of between 1800 and 2500 m.

Blocks Z5-C and Z5-D cover a total area of 10 205 km², at a water depth between 500 and 2100 m, in a scarcely explored area facing the delta of the Zambezi River, about 800 km to the north-east of the capital Maputo.

The three blocks, assigned under the 5^th Licensing Round, are operated by ExxonMobil (40%), in partnership with the Mozambican State company Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH, 20%), Rosneft (20%) and Qatar Petroleum (10%).

With this acquisition, Eni further strengthens its presence in Mozambique, a country of strategic importance for the company.

In the 5^th Licensing Round, Eni Mozambico was also awarded operatorship of Block A5-A, adjacent to block A5-B, with a 59.5% stake. Other partners are Sasol (25.5%) and ENH (15%). A farm-out agreement enabling Qatar Petroleum to acquire a 25.5% participating interest in Block A5-A, reducing Eni shares to 34%, is pending authorisation by the Mozambican authorities.

Eni has been present in Mozambique since 2006, with the acquisition of a stake in the Area 4, located offshore in the Rovuma basin, in the northern part of the country. From 2011 to 2014, Eni discovered supergiant natural gas resources in the Rovuma basin, in Coral, Mamba and Agulha fields, holding estimated 2400 m³ of gas in place.

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/exploration/30052019/eni-acquires-rights-in-three-new-exploration-licenses-in-mozambique/