Petronas finds oil, gas at Mauritania appraisal well

MAURITANIA: Petroliam Nasional Bhd and its partners in a Mauritanian oil and gas venture found oil and gas at an appraisal well on the Banda field offshore of the West African nation, said Roc Oil Co, one of the partners.

Preliminary results from the Banda East-1B well indicated the probe found an 86m gross gas column and a 19m gross oil column, Sydney-based Roc said yesterday in a statement to the Australian stock exchange. The partners intend to prepare the well to test the gas flow. There are no plans to test the oil section at this point, it said.