Mauritania signs two offshore contracts with Murphy Oil

NOUAKCHOTT, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Mauritania's energy ministry signed two production-sharing contracts with US company Murphy Oil MUR.N on Tuesday for the C10 and Tiof offshore blocks, the ministry said in a statement.

Murphy Oil and Chariot Oil CHARC.L had applied to the government in July for access to three offshore blocks, an energy official said, the same month Mauritania granted Saudi developer ACWA Power 2082.SE a 25-year concession to build a new 230-megawatt gas-to-power plant.

Mauritania and Senegal want to use vast offshore gas resources from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project, operated by BP BP.L with Kosmos Energy KOS.N, and other fields for liquefied natural gas exports and to boost domestic industries.

"This signing ... provides decisive momentum for the revival of offshore exploration, the development of the nation's oil and gas potential and strengthening of partnerships with world-class oil and gas companies," the ministry said.

The deal was signed in the capital Nouakchott between Minister of Energy and Petroleum Mohamed Abdel Vetah and Olson Christopher Charles, senior vice president of exploration and subsurface for Murphy, which last month reported an appraisal success in Ivory Coast.

The Houston, Texas-headquartered company did not immediately respond to a request for information.