Petro-Tec, an engineering consultancy with offices in Sudan and Ajman in the United Arab Emirates, is marketing the acreage and is seeking partners to join in ­exploring eight blocks.

Petro-Tec’s owner and managing director Omar B. Abu elbashar told Upstream that “four majors” are among the seven parties to have so far signed confidentiality agreements.

He said these include two companies from South Korea, one French concern and a Canadian player, adding that a Chinese business has also signed up to view data.

Abu