Middle East
Oman signs a joint study agreement with Petronas and OQEP for offshore Blocks 83 and 84
By Staff Writer | 8 November 2026
The Ministry of Energy and Minerals has agreed geological and geophysical studies over just over 25,000 sq km off the Qurayyat coast, next to the Block 18 concession Petronas entered in February.
Oman's Ministry of Energy and Minerals has signed a joint study agreement with PC Oman Ventures Ltd, a Petronas subsidiary, and OQ Exploration and Production (OQEP) covering offshore Blocks 83 and 84 off the coast of Qurayyat, in an agreement signed on 5 November.
Block 83 covers 10,875 sq km and Block 84 covers 14,147 sq km. Under the agreement the parties will carry out geological and geophysical studies to evaluate the hydrocarbon potential and commercial viability of both blocks.
The ministry said the studies could lead to future concession agreements over the two blocks.
Next to Block 18
The two blocks adjoin offshore Block 18, where Oman signed an exploration and production sharing agreement with Petronas in February 2026. Block 18 covers 21,140 sq km in the North Sohar Basin, between the Batinah coast and the Makran Accretionary Prism. PC Oman Ventures Ltd holds a 70 per cent operating interest in it, and Batinah Offshore LLC, an OQEP subsidiary, holds the other 30 per cent.
The three blocks now form a contiguous area of about 46,162 sq km of offshore acreage within the scope of the Petronas group's exploration interests in Oman. Block 18 lies in water depths from 30 to 3,000 metres. Earlier campaigns there included about 10,000 km of 2D seismic surveys, 2,048 sq km of 3D seismic acquisition and three exploratory wells, which identified several geological plays without establishing a commercial discovery.
Present at the signing were Mohsin al Hadhrami, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals; Budi Nasron, Petronas Country Chairman (PC Oman Ventures Ltd); and Dr Anwar al Kharusi, OQEP Chief Executive, Commercial.
Petronas looks forward to bringing our international experience and technical capabilities, particularly in offshore exploration and development, to this partnership and to contributing meaningfully to the Sultanate of Oman's energy aspirations.
Budi Nasron, Country Chairman, Petronas (PC Oman Ventures Ltd)
What the study leads to
Nasron described the signing as another step in the partnership between Petronas and Oman, building on the trust and collaboration established through Block 18. He said the progress reflected the relationship between the ministry, OQEP and Petronas, and their shared aim of developing the hydrocarbon potential of Oman responsibly.
Because the agreement provides for studies only, any exploration rights over Blocks 83 and 84 would come through a later concession agreement, and the findings of the studies are what that decision will rest on.
For the offshore supply chain, the order of events is the point to watch. Block 18 is already under a production sharing agreement signed this year, and Blocks 83 and 84 are now one step behind it. What the surveys find will decide whether seismic and drilling work follows on the new acreage.