Doris Leblond
OGJ Correspondent
PARIS, Jan. 14 -- The French government awarded two 5-year exploration permits to midsized oil companies to explore offshore Juan de Nova, a tiny island possession between Madagascar and Mozambique
One permit was awarded to Houston-based Marex Petroleum Corp., operator, and Australia's Roc Oil Co. Ltd. It covers an offshore perimeter of 52,990 sq km. Excluded is an area of 12 nautical miles around the Juan de Nova island. Water depth exceeds 2,000 m.
Promised financial outlays amount to €47.3 million. The companies are committed to drilling a well in the 4th or 5th year of their permit. They are planning preliminary 2D and 3D seismic exploration.
Another permit in water depths of 500-2,000 m. covering 9,010 sq km was awarded to Nighthawk Energy PLC operator, Jupiter Petroleum Juan de Nova Ltd., and Osceola Hydrocarbons Ltd., all UK based. Promised financial outlays amount to €27.9 million.
The joint venture plans preliminary 2D and 3D seismic exploration and two wells within 5 years.
Some analysts foresee possible giant fields "as in Saudi Arabia" in that little known offshore area between Madagascar's heavy oil fields on one side and Mozambique's Panda-Temane gas field on the other.
Norway's TGS-Nopec was awarded a 2-year nonexclusive permit in 2003-04 and acquired some seismic data with outlay of some €1 million.
