Australia's Tap Oil Ltd. (ASX: TAP.AX) said March 9 that it was awarded 100% of Blocks W14-7 and W14-16 in the prospective Barrow and Dampier sub-basins on the North West Shelf.

The blocks were offered under the 2014 offshore petroleum exploration acreage release.

W14-07, now Petroleum Exploration Permit WA-515-P, is located on the Rankin Platform in water depths ranging from less than 100 m to 400 m. It covers an area of about 485 sq km. The permit lies between the Wheatstone gas field to the west and the Goodwyn/Perseus gas fields to the east.

W14-16, now Petroleum Exploration Permit WA-516-P, is located to the east of the Alpha Arch on the western flank of the Barrow sub-basin and is adjacent to other Tap-held acreage. The permit is in water depths of between 50 m to 200 mand covers an area of about 160 sq km. The permit lies between the Griffin, Chinook/Scindian fields and the Woollybutt oil field.