Oil Exploration activities in Sudan date back to the late fifties, when the Italian Agip was granted  the  first  exploration  permit  in the Red Sea. However  the  major  episode  in  the Exploration  history  in  Sudan  is  that  of Chevron  Oil  Company  of  Sudan  (Mid seventies  to  late  eighties)  which  started  in the  Red  Sea  and  shifted  to  the  interior Basins in Western and southern Sudan. The table below summarizes the major events in the Oil Exploration history in Sudan. It also shows the current Right holding situation in the various exploration blocks.