London-listed independent Cairn Energy on 6 April tweeted that it had finalized a deal to take a 90% stake in Mauritania’s deepwater C-7 exploration block off the north of the country (MEES, 12 March). This marks Cairn’s official Mauritania entry after an abortive attempt last year when former operator Total relinquished the C-7 block last June just after Cairn had attempted to farm in (MEES, 13 March 2020).
Block C-7 contains the sub-commercial 2003 Cormoran and 2010 Pelican gas discoveries made by former operator Dana Petroleum (MEES, 27 August 2012). After making a third sub-commercial discovery, Frégate, in 2012-13 (MEES, 13 February 2013), Dana and UK-based partner Tullow Oil quit the acreage in 2017, only for Total to snap up Block C-7 later the same year. (CONTINUED - 278 WORDS)