State-owned Algerian oil company Sonatrach has discovered one new gas and two new oil fields since the start of 2015, it was revealed last week
The first oil field was located in the Touggourt region, with the second in Ghardaia, and the gas discovery made in El Bayadh, Sonatrach CEO Said Sahnoun told Algerian news agency APS.
The finds, which Sahnoun described as “of extremely important quality”, are flowing at rates of 3,000-4,000 bpd.
The revelations were made at a ceremony in Oran on Wednesday to mark the 40th anniversary of the nationalisation of the Algerian hydrocarbon industry.
No estimate of the potential size of the discoveries was given, but Sahnoun said the reserves were being evaluated, with appraisal programme due to begin soon.
Algeria is one of the top three oil producers in Africa, as well as being the leading producer of natural gas on the continent and is estimated to possess the third-largest reserves of shale gas in the world.
However, natural gas and crude oil output have seen a gradual decline in recent years, largely due to delays in infrastructure and production projects.
