Total’s holdings off Mauritania have fallen from five blocks at the start of 2020 to just two. The remaining blocks are C-31, further offshore from BP and Kosmos’ C-8 which is the site of the Tortue and Bir Allah discoveries (MEES, 2 April), and block C-15 further offshore still in water depths of over 3000ms. Total acquired both in December 2018 (MEES, 14 December 2018) and last year shot a 3D seismic survey across the acreage, the French major reveals in its freshly-released 2020 report.
Of the three relinquished blocks the first to go, in January 2020, was C-9, site of Total’s only well to date off Mauritania, August 2019’s Richat flop (MEES, 30 August 2019). Next was the relatively shallow-water C-7 further north which Total relinquished in June 2020 just after UK firm Cairn had agreed to farm in. Cairn is now looking to secure a new licence on the same acreage (MEES, 12 March). (CONTINUED - 194 WORDS)