Angola to help Ecuador search for oil and gas

LUANDA (Reuters) - Angola signed a letter of intent with Ecuador to help explore and produce oil and gas in the Latin American nation, Angolan state-owned news agency Angop said on Friday.

The letter was signed in Ecuador's capital Quito on Thursday by Angolan oil minister Jose Botelho de Vasconcelos and his counterpart Germanico Pinto, according to Angop.

"The signed document's goal is to bolster oil and gas exploration projects of mutual interest to both parts," Angop said, adding that both countries were looking at projects in Ecuador's Block 29 Amazonic region along with Blocks 5 and 39.

The projects are to be carried out by Ecuador's state-owned oil company Petroecuador and Angolan state-owned oil firm Sonangol, according to Angop.

Ecuador will take over from Angola as president of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in January.