Total bought 25 pct in Orinduik block offshore Guyana

LONDON,  (Reuters) Total says has exercised option to buy a 25 pct interest in Orinduik exploration block offshore Guyana.

Orinduik operated by Tullow Oil off Guyana contains an estimated 3 billion barrels of oil and gas, its partner Eco Atlantic said on Tuesday, as the two firms prepare to drill in the Latin American oil basin.

Tullow plans to begin drilling in the block in the third quarter of 2019, with Eco indicating it will begin “early” in the quarter.

Guyana became one of the world’s most closely watched oil basins after Exxon Mobil discovered more than 4 billion barrels of oil equivalent in its Stabroek licence in recent years.