France's Total Signs Framework Deal to Enhance Education at Two Bulgarian Unversities

French oil and gas giant Total, a partner in a consortium planning to drill for hydrocarbons in Bulgaria's Khan Asparuh offshore block, signed framework agreements for cooperation with two Bulgarian universities on Friday, BGNES reported.

"Total E&P Bulgaria recognizes that skills development is essential for Bulgaria's economic growth. We are honoured to open this relationship with the University of Mining and Geology St. Ivan Rilski and the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridksi as they show willingness to enhance the education they offer through the injection of high level technical and scientific expertise," Total E&P Bulgaria General Manager Xavier Faugeras said during the signing ceremony in Sofia.

"It is also an additional opportunity for them to open to the corporate world, and to share Total's values of excellence progress, diversity and development of human capital," Faugeras commented.

The Total Professors Association will present the two Bulgarian universities with four training courses this year: offshore drilling, interpretation of geological survey data, interpretation of seismic survey data; health and environment safety.

The consortium comprising Total, Austria's OMV and Spain's Repsol, which plans to invest USD 260 M in the exploration of Khan Asparuh block off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, last year announced it delayed the start of drilling operations until 2016 due to the slump in global oil prices.

The head of Bulgarian Parliament's Energy Committee, Delyan Dobrev, said last month that first drilling is scheduled for February 2016.