▁order ▁of ▁. ▁ ▁Gra vity ▁and ▁aer om ag ▁has ▁been ▁acquired ▁and ▁interpreted ▁over ▁the ▁entire ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁square ▁km ▁a cre age . ▁ ▁D NO ▁AS A ▁Os lo , ▁ 8 ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁- ▁D NO ▁AS A , ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁oil ▁and ▁gas ▁operator , ▁today ▁announced ▁that ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁granted ▁a ▁two - year ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁of ▁its ▁production ▁sharing ▁agreement ▁for ▁Block ▁SL 1 8 ▁in ▁Som al il and . ▁The ▁first ▁expl oration ▁period ▁will ▁now ▁end ▁on ▁ 8 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁ ▁Block ▁SL 1 8 , ▁in ▁which ▁D NO ▁has ▁a ▁ 5 0 ▁percent ▁st ake ▁as ▁operator , ▁is ▁a ▁front ier ▁expl oration ▁block . ▁The ▁partners ▁have ▁completed ▁field ▁survey ▁and ▁environmental ▁assess ment ▁studies ▁over ▁the ▁block ▁and ▁will ▁initi ate ▁a ▁planned ▁se ism ic ▁ac quisition ▁program ▁once ▁the ▁Government ▁of ▁Som al il and ▁has ▁put ▁in ▁place ▁a ▁planned ▁O il ▁Prote ction ▁Unit ▁( OP U ) ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁international ▁oil ▁companies ▁operating ▁in ▁Som al il and . ▁The ▁OP U ▁is ▁expected ▁to ▁be ▁oper ational ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁inter im , ▁security ▁conditions ▁perm itting , ▁D NO ▁will ▁res ume ▁a ▁development ▁program ▁focused ▁on ▁dr illing ▁water ▁well s ▁to ▁provide ▁local ▁communities ▁in ▁the ▁areas ▁covered ▁by ▁Block ▁SL