QatarEnergy, along with its partners TotalEnergies and Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC), has been awarded an exploration licence for the Nzombo offshore block in the Republic of Congo.

QatarEnergy, with the production sharing contract in place with the Congolese Government, is set to hold a 35% interest in the block.

An affiliate of TotalEnergies in Congo, serving as the operator, will maintain a 50% interest, while SNPC, the national oil company of Congo, will retain a 15% stake.

State Minister for Energy Affairs and QatarEnergy president and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said: “We are pleased to be awarded this promising offshore block in the Republic of Congo, and to work alongside our valued partners and the Congolese Government.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of the Republic of Congo for their valuable cooperation, and we look forward to delivering on a successful exploration campaign in collaboration with our partners and stakeholders.”

The Nzombo block spans 1,000km² at water depths exceeding 1,000m and is situated 100km off the coast of Pointe-Noire, near TotalEnergies affiliate TotalEnergies EP Congo's Moho production facilities.

The agreed work programme includes drilling at least one exploration well by the end of this year.

TotalEnergies Exploration senior vice-president Kevin McLachlan said: “This award of a promising exploration permit, with the material Nzombo prospect, reflects our continued strategy of expanding our exploration portfolio with high impact prospects, which can be developed leveraging our existing facilities, and confirms our long-standing partnership with the Republic of the Congo.”

In related news, last May, it was reported that QatarEnergy entered advanced discussions with Japanese companies for a long-term liquefied natural gas supply agreement of at least three million tonnes per annum from the company's North Field expansion project.