The Yemeni government signed a $25 million agreement with the UK's Capital Oil & Gas on 28 January, granting exploration rights in the southern Al-Mahra province. Sanaa is aiming to raise oil production to 550,000 barrels a day (b/d) from 475,000 b/d, and, in June, Oil Minister Rashid Barbaa urged international oil companies to become involved in exploration in the country. In December, commercial quantities of oil were discovered by the US' Vintage Petroleum, in partnership with Canada's Transglobe Energyand state-owned Yemen Company, in block Damis S-1, southeast of Marib (MEED 13:12:02). In the same month, Transglobe and Norway's DNO began drilling the Tansour 8 well, in Hawarine block 32.