Malaysia's state energy firm Petronas said on Dec. 20 it had won the Agua Marinha exploration block in the Campos Basin during Brazil's bid round.

Petronas said in a statement it won the block during the first cycle of Brazil's open acreage under a production sharing regime bid held in Rio de Janeiro.

Its subsidiary Petróleo Brasil Ltda (PPBL) will hold a 20% participating interest in the block, Petronas said. Petrobas as the operator will hold 30% share, TotalEnergies will hold 30%, and QatarEnergy 20%.

"This success demonstrates our competitive edge in sustainably developing and monetizing assets in the Campos Basin," Petronas Vice President of Exploration Mohd Redhani Abdul Rahman said.

PPBL recently announced the first oil discovery at the 4-BRSA-1386D-RJS well in the pre-salt Sépia oil field in the Santos Basin, it said.