Murphy takes operatorship of two offshore Mauritania PSCs

Murphy Oil has signed production-sharing contracts for the C-10 and Tiof blocks offshore Mauritania, adding about 3.1 million acres to its West Africa exploration portfolio.

Jeremy Beckman

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Murphy Oil Corp.

Nov. 5, 2026

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Why this news matters:

Murphy Oil is expanding its West Africa exploration footprint by adding about 3.1 million acres offshore Mauritania, reinforcing its regional growth strategy following exploration success offshore Côte d'Ivoire.
The new PSCs position Murphy Oil as operator of two frontier offshore blocks in a region attracting increasing industry interest alongside major developments in neighboring Senegal and the broader Northwest Africa basin.

Mauritania map with national flag — Mauritania is attracting renewed exploration interest as operators expand their presence across the emerging offshore Northwest Africa basin.

Murphy Oil has signed agreements for two production sharing contracts (PSCs) for the C-10 and Tiof blocks offshore Mauritania.

The combined acreage is about 3.1 million acres.

Murphy, via its subsidiaries, will hold a 90% operated interest, with a 10% carried interest held by state-owned Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures (SMH).

The two parties will jointly study the exploration potential of the two blocks.

Murphy Oil's move into offshore Mauritania follows its recent exploration success offshore Côte d'Ivoire and reflects the company's continued effort to expand its West Africa portfolio.

About the Author

Jeremy Beckman

Staff Writer / Editor, Europe

Jeremy Beckman has been Editor Europe, Offshore since 1992. Prior to joining Offshore he was a freelance journalist for eight years, working for a variety of electronics, computing and scientific journals in the UK. He regularly writes news columns on trends and events both in the NW Europe offshore region and globally. He also writes features on developments and technology in exploration and production.