Covering an area of 19,000km² with water depths ranging from 200 to 1,800m, the asset is situated in the Outeniqua basin, around 175km off the southern coast of South Africa.
As the operator of block 11B/12B, the French oil company will drill an exploration well in 2014.
Total exploration senior vice president Marc Blaizot said recent discoveries in the Falkland Islands together with the prospects identified on the block offer better opportunities to the company.
"South Africa’s deep offshore, in particular the Outeniqua Basin, is one of the few remaining under-explored offshore regions in Africa," Blaizot added.
The company is said to leverage its deep offshore expertise and experience in waters such as the North Sea and the Barents Sea, to assess the acreage potential.
