Statoil is training its sights on eastern and southern Africa as it looks to develop its global exploration portfolio and has taken stakes in blocks off Mozambique and South Africa.

The company has together with partners submitted a winning bid on the A5-A Block offshore Mozambique in the fifth competitive bidding round.

The A5-A Block is located in the Northern Zambesi Basin in the Angoche area about 1,500 km north of the capital Maputo.

The block covers an area of 5,145 sq km in water depths ranging from 200 m to 1,800 m.

Eni is the operator of the joint venture with 34% participating interest. Partners are Statoil and Sasol with 25.5% each and ENH with 15%.

The minimum work programme includes seismic and three commitment wells.

“The Angoche area is a very promising frontier basin with significant oil potential and builds on Statoil’s exploration strategy of access at scale,” said Nick Maden, senior vice president for Statoil’s exploration activities in the Western Hemisphere.

Statoil also has completed a farm-in deal with Exxon Mobil to acquire a 35% interest in the ER 12/3/154 Tugela South Exploration Right.

The remaining interests are held by the operator Exxon Mobil (40%) and co-venturer Impact Africa Ltd. (25%).

Maden said, “This opportunity is in line with Statoil’s exploration strategy of access at scale. It represents access into a frontier basin where we believe we see indications of an active petroleum system and which has impact potential.”

The Tugela South Exploration Right covers an area of about 9,054 sq km. It is located offshore eastern South Africa in water depths up to 1,800 m.

The farm-in deal represents a country entry for Statoil into South Africa. Statoil enters in an early exploration phase with a step-wise exploration programme.

Work commitments between 2015 and 2017 include the acquisition of 1,000 sq km of 3-D seismic data and geology and geophysics studies. There are no commitment wells during this exploration period.