PARIS, May 30 (KUNA) -- French oil giant Total announced Monday it has acquired a 25 percent stake in Block BC (pre-Khuff) near the gas-rich Qatari North Field, located about 130 kilometres east of the Qatari coast.

Total said that it has signed and Exploration and Production-sharing Agreement with the government of Qatar and that it will carry out 2D and 3D seismic surveys on Block BC and drill three exploration wells there before 2014.

Qatar's CNOOC Middle East company will remain operator on the Bloc, keeping 75 percent of the capital.

The French company already has a strong presence in Qatar and has been working in the Gulf country since 1936.

Total has a 100 percent stake in the Al-Khalij field, and has 20 percent in North Filed Bravo and a 10 percent holding in the Qatargas 1 liquefaction plant.

Additionally, Total holds 24.5 percent in the Dolphin Energy Company and a 16.7 percent capital holding in the Qatargas 2 Train 5 liquefaction operation.

The company produced an average of 164,000 barrels per day in oil equivalent from Qatar in 2010.

Total also has partnerships in the Ras Laffan refinery, holding a 10 percent stake, and it also has 20 percent of the Qapco and 48.6 percent of Qatofin petrochemical plants.