Qatar Petroleum Wins Five Argentine Offshore Blocks

Qatar Petroleum has won exploration rights to five offshore blocks in the North Argentina, and Malvinas West basins in Argentina, it said April 16. 

The company has won exploration rights for three blocks, MLO-113, MLO-117, and MLO-118, in the Malvinas West basin, in partnership with ExxonMobil (operator with a 70% interest). The exploration rights to two other blocks, CAN-107 and CAN-109 in the North Argentina basin, were won in partnership with Shell (operator with a 60% interest), Qatar Petroleum said.

The winning bids were announced by Argentina’s energy ministry at the end of a public tender process that started in November 2018.

The exploration blocks offered during the public tender included 38 shallow, deep and ultra-deep water offshore blocks in the Austral, North Argentina, and Malvinas West basins. Qatar Petroleum participated in the bid round as a non-operating partner. Norwegian Equinor and French Total also won exploration rights during this round.