Total, Sonatrach start production from Timimoun gas project in Algeria

Oil and gas industry news : Total, Sonatrach and Cepsa have started production from the Timimoun gas project in Algeria, almost nine years after the approval of its development plan by the Algerian National Oil and Gas Development Agency (ALNAFT).

Algerian national oil and gas company Sonatrach owns 51% in the Timimoun natural gas project while French oil and gas giant Total has 37.75% ownership and Spanish oil and gas producer Cepsa holds the remaining 11.25% stake.

The three companies had formed a joint venture called Groupement Timimoun to jointly carry out operations at the Timimoun gas project. Originally, the plan was to draw first gas from the Timimoun natural gas project in 2013, but was delayed due to various factors like low prices for hydrocarbons in recent years, contract negotiations for the gas off take and others.

Location of the Timimoun gas project in Algeria. Photo courtesy of 2018 Total.

Located in Wilaya de Adrar between Timimoun and Adrar towns in southwestern Algeria, the Timimoun gas field has been developed to have a production capacity of about 5 million cubic meters of natural gas per day at plateau.

In 2009, Total announced that it will develop the Timimoun gas field alongside its partners after a successful exploration and appraisal process that begun in 2003 and had involved drilling of half a dozen wells.

Natural gas from the Timimoun gas field will be drawn via 37 production wells, connected to a gas processing plant that will supply the gas to the 760km long GR5 pipeline. The GR5 gas pipeline, which was inaugurated in mid-February by Sonatrach, brings gas from various gas fields in southwestern Algeria to Hassi R’mel processing hub located in central Algeria.

Sonatrach has the responsibility of commercializing all of the natural gas produced from the Timimoun gas project as per a marketing agreement with its partners Total and Cepsa.

Arnaud Breuillac – President of Exploration & Production at Total, commenting on the start-up of the Timimoun natural gas project said: “The launch of Timimoun is a new step in the Group’s history in Algeria, where we are a long-term partner. Achieved within the planned budget, the project will contribute to Total’s production growth in 2018.”

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