Oil and gas explorer OMV Aktiengesellschaft and Al-Thani have been jointly awarded an oil and gas exploration permit for offshore exoloration in Tunisia.

The companies will work together with Entreprise Tunisienne d’Activités Pétrolières (ETAP) under a production sharing contract worth $3m.

The contract covers an area of 6,592km² near the southern town of Gabes.

The agreement, dubbed Sidi Mansour, covers the gathering of seismic data and the drilling of an offshore deepwater well, according to ETAP.