LONDON, Sept 9 (Askume) – ExxonMobil Corp (XOM.N) has agreed a deal with Gallup Energy Corp on a major oil discovery in Namibia, people familiar with the matter said.(GALP.LS) , has attracted interest from top energy companies.
More than a dozen oil companies, including ExxonMobil, Shell (SHEL.L) and Petrobras (PETR4.SA), have expressed interest in buying 40% shares in the Mopane discovery project offshore Galp, sources previously said.
Gallup also suggested that buyers take over the industry.
The reason for Exxon’s withdrawal from the process is unclear. Other companies are still in talks with Gallup about a sale, the sources said.
ExxonMobil and Gallup declined to comment.
Mopane is estimated to have reserves equivalent to at least 10 billion barrels of oil and gas and could be worth more than $10 billion.
The sale process follows promising offshore discoveries made by Shell and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) in recent years , raising the South African country’s prospects of becoming a major oil producer.
