Eric Watkins
OGJ Oil Diplomacy Editor
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8 -- Algeria’s Sonatrach, Total SA, and Cepsa said the Algerian National Oil and Gas Development Agency has approved their development plan for the Timimoun natural gas project in Algeria.
According to Total, the approval is the outcome of an exploration and appraisal program begun in 2003, during which six wells were drilled.
Total said development work should begin in the fourth quarter, with gas production scheduled to start in 2013. Timimoun is expected to produce about 1.6 billion cu m/year of gas at its peak.
Operation of the Timimoun project will be jointly conducted by the stakeholders: Sonatrach 51%, Total 37.75%, and Cepsa 11.25%. The development plan entails drilling around 40 wells to tap eight structures over an area of 2,500 sq km.
The plan also includes construction of gas gathering and processing facilities, as well as a connection to the Sonatrach pipeline that will carry gas from fields in southwestern Algeria to Hassi R’Mel.
Contact Eric Watkins at [email protected].
