Norway, Europe’s largest oil-producing nation, intends to profoundly increase Arctic oil exploration by offering up 125 new oil exploration permits in the Arctic Barents Sea.

Morocco has signed a two-year reconnaissance contract with Conocophillips for onshore exploration in Mesorif, Northern Morocco.

Lebanon is going to commence drilling activities for hydrocarbons in its waters within the last week of February, according to the Lebanese Agriculture and Culture Minister, Abbas Mortada.

Bahrain’s National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Italian Eni to pursue petroleum exploration of Block 1.

The Energy and Environment Committee of Egypt’s House of Representatives, Chaired by Talaat El Sewedy, approved 11 projects, delegating the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El Molla, to explore for oil in different regions.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) announced that it will continue to search for oil in the Lake Chad Basin of Borno state.

South Sudan’s government granted Oranto Petroleum International Ltd. a license to explore for oil.

Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome have resumed talks on planned creation of a partnership for oil exploration in the existing maritime boundary between the two countries.

Zanzibar, a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa, will soon start direct talks with investors in the oil and gas sector, thanks to a new law to be passed by Tanzania’s House of Representatives.

Russia’s state-owned oil company, Roseneft, has signed a new oil exploration joint venture (JV) deal with BP in Russia. The JV, Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha LLC, will invest up to $300m in conducting oil exploration operations in the West Siberian and Yenisey-Khatanga basins of Russia.