"We are selling our assets in Oman because we want to focus our business elsewhere," said Mike Cubrillo, Anadarko's general manager in Oman. Cubrillo would not give any further details, aside from the fact that the time was not right to discuss buyers just yet.

The block for sale, Block 30 at Hofar in northern Oman, covers an area of 1,185 sq km and has estimated gas reserves of 300 billion cubic feet of gas.