Summary:

On 10 July 2026, Upstream reported that US independent Murphy Oil Corporation and London-listed junior Chariot Energy Group have separately applied for exploration acreage offshore Mauritania.

The government’s intention to sign exploration and production contracts with both companies for three offshore blocks in the coastal basin was presented to the Mauritanian Council of Ministers on 8 July 2026 by the Minister of Energy and Petroleum.

The applications represent distinct company profiles entering Mauritanian waters. Murphy Oil is an established mid-sized US independent with a proven track record of deepwater exploration across West Africa, having recently secured 10 exploration permits in Morocco’s deepwater Gharb Offshore and Rabat Deep blocks in January 2026 and announced an oil discovery offshore Côte d’Ivoire. Chariot, by contrast, is a smaller London-listed junior with existing interests in Mauritania through its Project Nour green hydrogen asset, co-developed with TotalEnergies subsidiary TEH2.

The applications follow a period of growing upstream interest in Mauritania’s offshore acreage, driven in part by the country’s established GTA gas production and by the broader reorientation of energy investment toward Mediterranean and Atlantic-facing producers following disruptions to Gulf export routes.

Outlook: 

While both applications are encouraging economic signals, the entry of Murphy Oil into Mauritania is the more commercially significant of the two applications. Murphy’s deepwater credentials and active West Africa exploration program suggest a serious technical and financial commitment rather than an opportunistic position, and its simultaneous entry into Morocco signals a deliberate strategy of building an Atlantic-facing African portfolio.

Chariot’s application is more incremental given its existing Mauritanian presence, though it reflects the company’s stated intent to expand from its hydrogen and renewables base toward upstream oil and gas in the country.

Both applications remain at the pre-contract stage, with formal signing subject to Council of Ministers approval and contract negotiation. Arabic-language commentary published in Mauritania has already raised questions about the contractual terms, technical capacity, and risk-bearing ability of the two companies, suggesting that domestic scrutiny of the deal terms will be a factor in the process. The outcome will be watched as a signal of how actively Mauritania is moving to populate its offshore acreage beyond the established GTA framework.

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