Iraq: Murphy awarded Kurdish block

Another US company has signed up for exploration acreage in the Kurdistan Regional Government region, following Marathon Oil Corporation’s deal in October which made it the first publicly traded US company to operate in the KRG zone (GSN 888/10). El Dorado, Arkansas-based Murphy Oil Corporation has been awarded a 50% operating interest in the 619km2 Central Dohuk Block, near the Turkish border. The acreage is “on trend with recent exploration drilling”, chief executive David Wood told a Q3 10 earnings call.