A 2 page document edited by a geologist at San Leon Energy at the afternoon of 2 July 2013 documents how San Leon currently seeks partners for drilling at its Casa Mar 1 well.

The well is most likely to be located just on the Moroccan side of the border to Western Sahara, a territory that Morocco illegally occupies. San Leon is the operator of the Tarfaya block, which in turn is partially located in Morocco and partially in occupied Western Sahara. The company now seeks a partner for a 4Q 2013 drilling.

If the well is successful, San Leon lures with a promise that is far more worrisome:

"On trend with Tarfaya 1 well and Casa Mar prospect to the SW is the Casa Grande lead, a much larger prograding shoal package considered as a huge upside if the oolitic shoal play is proven at Casa Mar. It is much larger in size than Casa Mar, but lacks the mappable closure which Casa Mar has. This opportunity represents tremendous upside follow-up potential should Casa Mar be a success!"

The problem is that the Casa Grande lead is located entirely in Western Sahara, right in the neighbourhood of the capital El Aaiún.

WSRW urges companies not to get stakes in the Tarfaya block.

"The UN has stated that further oil search in Western Sahara will be in violation of international law. They directly contribute to undermining the UN peace process, and any ownership in these activities are not compatible with basic standards of responsible business ethics", stated Erik Hagen, chair of Western Sahara Resource Watch.

Read the 2002 UN Legal Opinion here.