Sonatrach makes a massive gas discovery in the Sahara desert | Rigzone
Algeria’s state-owned oil and gas company Sonatrach has made a massive new gas discovery that could hold up to 12 trillion cubic feet of reserves.
Sonatrach said in a statement that the find was located in the Sahara Desert and is the country’s largest find in the past 20 years.
The discovery, which the company hopes to bring into service this year, will massively increase Algeria’s ability for the country to increase gas production. As a reminder, Eni has already signed an agreement with Sonatrach for an increased supply of gas to Italy. Together with Italy, the European Union will also seek to find alternatives for the supply of Russian gas.
The Algerian company did not provide any data whether this latest discovery was made with a new exploration well or whether it was made during an ongoing appraisal and development campaign in new areas in and around from the massive, producing Hassi R’Mel field, about 340 miles to the south. from Algiers.
Sonatrach added that the new resource is close to the Hassi R’Mel field and its infrastructure, so the company can accelerate discovery to first production in November this year. It should be noted that production rates are expected to be around 350 million cubic feet per day.
According to a preliminary assessment, Sonatrach said the resource potential of the discovery is between 3.5 Tcf and 12 Tcf, plus condensate. The company believes the new resource “has highlighted the significant hydrocarbon potential” of the LD2 reservoir which is part of the Lias Carbonate zone in the greater Hassi R’Mel region.
Sonatrach said the volumes discovered were one of the largest reserve assessments in the past 20 years and a campaign was underway to confirm the estimated volumes and ramp up production.
As for Hassi R’Mel, it is the largest gas field in Algeria and remains the largest producing asset even though it was commissioned in the 1960s. Its gas is sent north to the pipeline Medgaz which connects Algeria to Spain and supplies the Arzew LNG plant.
To contact the author, send an e-mail to bojan.lepic@rigzone.com
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