The Royal Dutch Shell Petroleum and Mauritania have signed two Production Sharing Contracts, PSCs on the country’s offshore. The contracts will include blocks C-10 and C-19 as Shell is expected to operate the exploration program with a 90% interest while Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier, the national oil company of Mauritania will holds a 10% interest.
Reports quoted Andy Brown, Shell’s Upstream Director as saying that the move marked Shell’s entry into the West African Atlantic Margin exploration basin, which has significant potential.
“This move represents Shell’s entry into the West African Atlantic Margin exploration basin, which has significant potential,” he said.
Adding: “We look forward to working with the government and people of Mauritania as we bring our expertise and technical capability to help develop the country’s emerging energy sector.”
Mohamed Ould Abdel Vetah, the Mauritanian Minister of Oil, Energy and Mining was also quoted to have commented as follows: “Shell’s new entry in the Mauritania offshore area represents an important added value to the exploration activities and will contribute to maintain the momentum for developing the energy sector in Mauritania.”
Shell is therefore expected to set up, in line with customary government approvals of contracts an office in Nouakchott and begin exploration activities, starting with reprocessing and analyzing existing seismic data and the acquisition of new data.
Shell and the government of Mauritania have in addition agreed in a MoU to jointly evaluate further offshore exploration opportunities, examine new ways of meeting the country’s domestic energy needs, and build capability in the energy sector.
