RusEnergy

02.11.2005 11:10 [Neftegaz.ru] - Russia's state-owned oil firm Zarubezhneft signed a deal with Nigeria to explore two offshore blocks in the Gulf of Guinea, the country's Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko said on Tuesday. "We want to help encourage cooperation between Russian firms and countries in equatorial Africa, especially with the regional leader Nigeria," the head of Federal Energy Agency Sergei Oganesyan said. The intergovernmental commission had been set up in 2004 and its first concrete result was the signing this year of the first oil deal between Nigeria and Zarubezhneft to explore and develop two offshore blocks. It did not specify the names of the blocks or other terms. A Zarubezhneft official said the company was talking with Nigerian authorities, but declined further comments.