In Salah Gas, a joint venture (JV) between Sonatrach, BP and Statoil, has announced the start-up of its Southern Fields gas project onshore Algeria
The project is the latest stage in the development of seven gas fields in central Algeria. The In Salah Gas joint venture commenced production in 2004 from three fields in the north of the area — Krechba, Teguentour and Reg.
The Southern Fields project involves the development of four dry gas fields — Gour Mahmoud, In Salah, Garet el Befinat and Hassi Moumene. Developing the Southern Fields will maintain planned production at 8.9mn cu/m per year, according to a JV statement.
BP North Africa regional president Hesham Mekawi said, “The safe start–up of Southern Fields is an important example of the strength and quality of the longstanding partnership between Sonatrach, BP and Statoil and is the evidence of BP’s continued commitment to invest in Algeria.”
The drilling of 26 planned southern field wells began in 2014 and is planned to continue until 2018.
The project’s scope includes a new 14.1mn standard cu/m per day gas dehydration central processing facility close to Hassi Moumene, brownfield modifications to existing processing facilities at Reg, Teg and Krechba, 150km of carbon steel export pipelines, 160km of 13 per cent chrome corrosion resistant alloy infield flowlines and the drilling and tie-in of the 26 new wells.
Production is planned to ramp up to 14.1mn cu/m per day as wells in the Hassi Moumene and Garet el Befinat field are to be brought on line over the next two months.
