Total and Mauritania have signed an E&P contract to perform exploration works on Block C7, which covers an area of 7,300 sq km (2,819 sq miles), the company said in a news release.

The company said it will be the operator of the block with a 90% interest. Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier will hold the 10%.

“This agreement is part of Total’s strategy to explore new deepwater basins in Africa,” Guy Maurice, senior vice president, Africa, for Total E&P, said in the release. “The addition of the C7 block to our existing C9 deepwater license creates a contiguous exploration area of around 17,000 sq km [6,562 sq miles] in a high-potential zone in offshore Mauritania.”