By Kemol King

GEORGETOWN, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Oil producers

TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy and Petronas

have signed a five-year agreement with Guyana's

government to explore a shallow-water block, authorities and

company executives said on Tuesday.

Guyana has struggled to diversify its energy industry,

currently dominated by a consortium that is led by U.S. Exxon

Mobil ( XOM ) and that has controlled all crude and gas output

since the South American country became an oil producer in 2019.

The production sharing agreement for Block S4, located

50-100 km (30-60 miles) off Guyana's coast, is the first signed

following a tender in 2023 that allowed the government to

allocate eight out of 14 offshore blocks offered to local and

foreign producers for exploration and development.

The group will pay a $15 million entrance bonus, Guyana's

energy minister Vickram Bharrat said during the signing

ceremony.

"Every investor that comes to our shore and signs an

agreement with us, they are of the understanding that this

partnership will have to be a win-win partnership," Bharrat

said.

With a 40% stake, TotalEnergies is the block's operator.

"We want to go fast," said TotalEnergies' Vice President

of Exploration for the Americas, Daniel Larrañaga. "We want to

explore this basin as soon as we can."

Consortia including Exxon, Delcorp, Watad Energy, Arabian

Drillers, Liberty Petroleum, Cybele Energy, International Group

Investment, Montego Energy and Sispro also won blocks in the

2023 tender.

The government expects to sign more agreements this year to

greenlight exploration in at least two additional offshore areas

allocated in the same tender, minister Bharrat told reporters,

adding that some negotiations, including bonuses and work

programs, must be completed.

An exploration license previously granted to a consortium of

Toronto-listed producer Frontera Energy ( FECCF ) and affiliate

CGX Energy ( CGXEF ) for offshore block Corentyne, where reserves

were found, was canceled earlier this year after the government

said the company had not met requirements for an extension.