Dana Petroleum has picked up seven operated North Sea blocks out of 22 full and partial blocks awarded to it in the UK’s 27th licensing round.

Managing director Paul Griffin said the new blocks from last Thursday’s round would bolster the explorer’s bid to ramp up output to 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2016.

The award includes one wholly-owned block, 13/23d, situated immediately west of BG Group’s Blake field in Scotland’s Inner Moray Firth area.

Dana Petroleum said it won the block with a firm well commitment now slated for 2014.

The company also secured six operated blocks on a 50% stake in the West of Shetlands region, Blocks 217/22, 217/23, 217/24, 217/25, 217/29 and 217/30.

Dana Petroleum says the programme will consist of obtaining and reprocessing 2D seismic leading to a drill-or-drop decision on the Carron prospect.

Its other awards include a 35% stake on a trio of central North Sea blocks operated by Canada’s Talisman Energy, and a block equally shared with Germany’s E.ON, 48/1e that lies in between Dana Petroleum’s Platypus appraisal well and producing Babbage field.

A further two west of Shetland blocks were awarded to Denmark’s Dong Energy on 60% with Dana Petroleum on 40%, 208/6 & 208/7.

Dana Petroleum also holds a 15% stake in a four-member group that gained a Frontier License spanning blocks 209/12 and 209/13 as well as part blocks 209/9, 209/10, 209/11, 209/14, 209/16 and 209/17.

Operated by Dong Energy on 35%, the group also includes France’s GDF Suez and Canada’s Nexen on 25% each.

Acquired by Korea National Oil Corporation in 2010, Dana Petroleum is a UK-registered explorer with assets in UK, Egypt, Norway, The Netherlands and Africa, producing more than 60,000 barrels of oil a day.

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