Eni takes charge of offshore Morocco, northern Australia leases

Eni has signed a petroleum agreement with Moroccan state company ONHYM on taking a 75% operated stake in the Tarfaya Offshore shallow exploration permits I-XII.

These are in the Atlantic Ocean offshore the cities of Sidi Ifni, Tan Tan, and Tarfaya.

Exploration rights cover an area of 23,900 square kilometres (9,228 square miles), in water depths from 0-1,000 metres (0-3,281 feet). The acreage is said to be prospective for liquid hydrocarbons.

Eni also operates Morocco’s Rabat Deep Offshore and El Jadida Offshore licences.

Elsewhere, the company has acquired a 32.5% interest held by Shell in the Evans Shoal gas field in the Bonaparte basin offshore northern Australia, and is in the process becoming operator of the retention lease NT/RL7.

Evans Shoal is around 300 kilometres (186 miles) north-west of Darwin and the Darwin LNG plant. Eni estimates the field’s resources at 8 tcf of in-place raw gas.

Australia’s government has provided all required approvals. Other partners are Petronas Carigali and Osaka Gas Australia.