It has been widely reported in the Press that during a meeting of the Council of Ministers on 10 June 2020, Repsol was granted permission to exit the 1-21 Han Asparuh licence by transferring its 30% interest to the other partners, Total (the operator) and OMV. Repsol's remaining Bulgarian interest is in 1-14 Han Kubrat, operated by Shell, which it acquired in February 2018. The licence bounds the 1-21 Han Asparuh licence towards the southwest.   The 1-21 Han Asparuh licence covers a deep-water area of 14,220 sq km offshore Bulgaria. Total has drilled three wells across the central and western part of the licence since 2016: Polshkov 1, Rubin 1 and Melnik 1. In May 2020, Total completed a 3D seismic survey to assist in selecting a drilling location for a fourth exploration well. In comparison, in the 1-14 Han Kubrat licence exploratory activity since 2016 has consisted of a 5,400 sq km 3D seismic survey and an exploration well spudded in 2019. The well was named Khan Kubrat 1 and was abandoned with reported gas shows in the Oligocene and Upper Eocene. As of 16 June 2020, there is no known planned exploratory activity on the licence.   Interest in 1-21 Han Asparuh will now be held by Total E & P Bulgaria BV (57.14% + operator) and OMV Offshore Bulgaria GmbH (42.86%).
Bulgaria (Black Sea B.) 1-21 Han Asparuh op. by TOTAL (40%), REPSOL (30%), OMV (15%), GOVT RO (12%), OTHERS (2%) It has been widely reported in the Press that during a meeting of the Council of Ministers on 10 June 2020, Repsol was granted permission to exit the 1-21 Han Asparuh licence by transferring its 30% interest to the other partners, Total (the operator) and OMV.