London-listed Tullow Oil has received government consent to take a 40% interest in the Maersk Oil-operated Block 9 in the Baffin Bay area, off north-west Greenland.

The block, also known as the Tooq licence, covers 11,802 square kilometres, with water depths ranging from 100 to 1000 metres.

The current work programme for Block 9 includes the acquisition and processing of 3D seismic data, with Tullow revealing about 1850 square kilometres had already been gathered.

It added a decision on whether or not to drill an exploration well on the licence would made following the evaluation of the seismic data.

After the completion of Tullow’s 40% farm-in Maersk will hold a 47.5% operated interest while Greenland state oil company Nunaoil’s 12.5% carried interest will remain unchanged.

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