New oil blocks beckon

15 October 2001

Qatar Petroleum (QP)is planning to hold in mid-October technical meetings with international companies interested in bidding for the Block 4 exploration and production sharing agreement (EPSA). The 3,500-kilometre block, located in the northwest of Qatar, borders the Al-Shaheen and Al-Rayyan fields, as well as the North field gas reservoir.

Block 4 is the largest of three offshore blocks that are being opened up by QP following the March resolution of the long-running border dispute with Bahrain. The others, located in the west of Qatar, are Block 3, which borders the onshore Dukhan field, and the smaller Block 14. Both are expected to be tendered once bidding for Block 4 has been completed.

QP is also expected to sign by the end of the year a new EPSA for the offshore Block 10, situated north of blocks 6 and 8 off eastern Qatar. The bidding campaign for the block was launched last year and QP says it has received several offers, which will be evaluated soon.

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