Neptune Energy and Sonatrach have announced that first gas has gone in to its Touat project in Algeria as part of project commissioning.

The development, which will produce around 75,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (450 million standard cubic feet per day) at plateau, remains on track to commence gas export production by the end of the first half of 2019.

Touat comprises eight gas fields and a gas processing plant and is located in the Basin of Sbaa, 1,500 km southwest of Algiers, near Adrar.

The development work involved drilling 18 new development wells, along with building a road, aircraft runway, living quarters and gathering network and gas treatment facilities.

Development work also involved the installation of a connection to the main GR5 pipeline, built by Sonatrach, to collect the gas from South West Algeria and bring it to Hassi R’Mel (located around 800 km to the North).

Jim House, Neptune CEO, said:

‘First gas in at Touat marks a significant milestone for this important project. We are now focused on delivering commercial full export production by the end of the first half of the year’.

In March 2010, the Algerian joint venture Groupement TouatGaz was established as the operator of the development and production operations. Neptune Energy holds an indirect equity interest in GTG. Its partners are Engie and Sonatrach.

Original article link

Source: Neptune Energy