Qatar Energy Company announced today, Sunday, that it has signed an agreement with Shell to acquire a 40 percent stake in the C10 offshore exploration block off the coast of Mauritania.

Qatar Energy said in a statement on its official account on Facebook that under the agreement, the Qatari company will own a 40 percent stake in the exploration and production agreement for C10, while the operator (Shell) will own a 50 percent stake, and the Mauritanian hydrocarbons company. 10 percent.

The statement quoted the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the Managing Director and CEO of (Qatar Energy) Saad bin Sherida Al-Kaabi as saying that this opportunity "will enhance our exploration presence in the African continent, and we look forward to a successful exploration program."

The C10 area covers an area of about 11,500 square kilometers, and is about 50 kilometers off the coast of Mauritania, in waters with depths ranging between 50 and 2,000 meters, according to the statement.

The statement indicated that the agreement will be subject to the usual official approvals by the Mauritanian government, without disclosing the value of the deal or other details.

This agreement comes in line with the Qatari company's expansions in its business outside the country, the latest of which was the announcement at the end of last March that Qatar Energy had acquired a share of two offshore exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, under an agreement with ExxonMobil Canada.

As for the African continent, the most important Qatari investments there are through (Qatar Energy), according to local media, as it concluded an agreement to acquire a 40 percent stake in an exploration area owned by the American (ExxonMobil) in the North Marakia concession area in the Mediterranean Sea off the Egyptian coast.

It also signed an agreement with the Italian company (ENI) and (ExxonMobil) to acquire 25.5 percent and 10 percent of the exploration concession in the Ingochi marine basin in Mozambique, and an agreement with the French (Total) according to which it acquired 45 percent in two offshore areas off the coast of Côte d'Ivoire.

In the Republic of the Congo, it acquired a 15 percent stake in (Total) as well, while it signed an agreement with the same company in South Africa to become a 25 percent partner in the exploration work in the marine area off the shores of the African country, according to the same source.