State-run National Hydrocarbons Corportation, or SNH, has chosen France's Total S.A. to drill two new wells containing an estimated 25 million barrels of crude oil in Cameroon, Dow Jones reports. The two wells are located in the 143-square-kilometer Dissoni Field in Cameroon's offshore Rio del Rey basin.

According to SNH Info, production start-up at an initial rate of 15,000 bopd from the wells will commence in the first quarter of 2011.

Situated on the West African coast, Cameroon pumped an average of 84,348 barrels a day in 2008, down from 85,753 barrels a day the previous year, SNH Info noted in a separate report.

Total's Operations in Cameroon

In June 2006, Total made an oil discovery from its first exploration well drilled in the offshore Dissoni Block, which was awarded to Total and the operator, Pecten Cameroon Company, in April 2005.

The discovery well encountered around 50 meters of oil pay in massive oil bearing sandstone, fully demonstrating the Dissoni Field's potential.