Mumbai, Nov. 12: Mukesh Ambani-run Reliance Industries Ltd has won a deepwater oil and gas block in Oman, a company spokesperson said here today.

Reliance Exploration and Production DMCC, a wholly owned subsidiary of RIL, has signed a contract for Block 41.

This block lies adjacent to Block 18 in the Gulf of Oman, which the government of Sultanate of Oman had awarded to RIL in 2005.

Block 18 is situated in the offshore Gulf of Oman between Block 41 and the border with the Fujuriah offshore block. The two blocks comprises approximately 21,000 sq km each.

The deal comes just a week after Reliance executed two production sharing contracts covering petroleum exploration activities in Iraq.

“It is too early to talk about investments in these fields and time that we may take. We are looking to enter into similar deals in the various parts of the world,” said an RIL spokesperson.

RIL had established a local office in Erbil in 2006 and has undertaken extensive geological work over the past year in the Kurdistan region.

Atul Chandra, president of international operations at RIL, said the agreements for the two blocks were signed by Kurdistan regional government.

He, however, said the reported figures of signature bonus aid for the two blocks were not correct. The company has been actively pursuing petroleum exploration activities in West Asia, particularly in Oman and Yemen, besides India, Asia Pacific Region and South America.

This is the first time that an Indian oil and exploration company is entering into war-ravaged Kurdistan. At least 20 global companies are working in the same region, media reports said.

Reliance Industries had recently bagged two oil blocks in the Kurdish region of Iraq. The blocks are expected to hold reserves of one billion barrels.

RIL signed the contract for the two blocks — Rovi and Sarta — with the Kurdish regional government. The company paid $15.5-17.5 million for the deal.