Sonatrach allotted offshore oil block. Sonatrach International Petroleum Exploration & Production BVI (SIPEX), in partnership with the Norwegian Statoil Group, has been allotted an oil block in deepwater block 9 in the Mediterranean, off Egypt . The block covers an area of 8,368 sq kms and is located to the west of the Nile Delta. The block has water depths of about 1,000-3,000 metres. SIPEX is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonatrach.