TheOslo-listed company has now secured operatorship with a 87.5% participatinginterest in the Sfax offshore permit and Ras El Besh concession covering about3296 square kilometres in the prolific Gulf of Gabes play after gaining therequired official approvals.

The mostly shallow-waterpermits host three discoveries estimated to hold between 35 million and 60million barrels of oil, together with 29 prospects believed to contain between500 million and 700 million of gross unrisked oil resources.

"Havingfinalised