The government of Sierra Leone has awarded offshore exploratory blocks to several companies.
A unit of African Petroleum Corp. Ltd., Perth, and Kosmos Energy Co. were provisionally awarded an exploration permit on Block SL-4A-10. The award is subject to further negotiation.
African Petroleum applied for the block on Mar. 30, 2012, as part of the Sierra Leone third bid round for offshore exploration permits.
African Petroleum holds a 100% interest in Block SL-03 where it has shot 2,500 sq km of 3D seismic that is under interpretation in anticipation of future drilling.
Meanwhile, the government picked SL Exploration Investment & Management GmbH for exclusive negotiations on Block SL-9A-10 and Block SL-9B-10. The blocks total 4,277 sq km in 3,700-3,900 m of water 105-145 km offshore Sierra Leone. The blocks are subject to further negotiation.
Alan Petzet | Chief Editor Exploration
Alan Petzet is Chief Editor-Exploration of Oil & Gas Journal in Houston. He is editor of the Weekly E&D Newsletter, emailed to OGJ subscribers, and a regular contributor to the OGJ Online subscriber website.
Petzet joined OGJ in 1981 after 13 years in the Tulsa World business-oil department. He was named OGJ Exploration Editor in 1990. A native of Tulsa, he has a BA in journalism from the University of Tulsa.
