France

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 30 – Noble Energy Inc., Houston, will become operator of the Rhone Maritime concession in the Mediterranean off France under an deal with Melrose Resources PLC, Edinburgh.

The heads of agreement calls for Noble to earn a 72.5% working interest in the acreage in the Rhone Delta by funding a disproportionate share of a proposed seismic program. The companies will seek to extend the concession until November 2015.

The concession covers 12,500 sq km south of Marseille. It is largely unexplored and contains several frontier exploration plays, Melrose said.