Chevron Corp to explore oil offshore Sierra Leone

Oil exploration has been booming in West Africa but it is still unclear whether Sierra Leone, still recovering from a war that ended in 2002, has commercial quantities.

The two blocks, SL-08A and SL-08B, are located between 75 and 110 miles southwest Sierra Leone's capital Freetown and cover a combined area of about 2,100 square miles. The blocks have average water depths ranging from 4,900 to 9,800 feet.

CHEVRON (CVX.NY)will be the operator with a 55 percent interest, while Noble Energy will hold a 30 percent and Odye Ltd a 15 percent stake.

Sierra Leone provisionally awarded contracts to 11 companies in July.

(Reporting by Swetha Gopinath in Bangalore; Editing by Joyjeet Das)

(swetha.gopinath@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 646 223 8780, outside U.S. +91 80 4135 5800; Reuters Messaging: swetha.gopinath.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)

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