Maersk Oil to focus on North Sea, Kenya after Qatar contract loss

Maersk Oil, a unit of Danish conglomerate A. P. Moller-Maersk, will focus on building on its operations in the North Sea and in Kenya, after it lost the contract to operate Qatar's largest offshore oilfield.

France's Total on Monday won a 30 percent stake in a new 25-year contract to operate the Al-Shaheen oilfield, a blow to Maersk, which has been operating the oilfield since 1992.

"Going forward it gives us clarity and gives us a good opportunity to focus on building on our material business in the North Sea, and in Kenya and other areas," the head of Maersk Oil Jakob Thomasen told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Maersk has operations in the British, Norwegian and Danish parts of the North Sea.