Qatar Petroleum’s international expansion continues to gather pace, with the firm this week snapping up five blocks offshore Argentina. Again, QP is partnering with international majors, in this instance ExxonMobil and Shell.

QP took 30% of the three Exxon-partnered blocks in Argentina’s latest bid round. MLO-113, MLO-117 and MLO-118 are all in the Malvinas West basin close to the UK’s Falkland Islands where British minnow Rockhopper aims to take FID in the next 12 months. ExxonMobil says “the initial work program will include 3D seismic data acquisition” for the blocks which are around 200km offshore. (CONTINUED - 347 WORDS)