Marruecos da un paso más en la instalación de la infraestructura de gas en el proyecto de Tendrara
Morocco's gas field in the Tendrara region is getting closer and closer to exploitation. The latest news stated that the oil company Sound Energy signed a gas sales agreement with Morocco's National Office of Electricity and Water (ONEE), by the time the project is in the second phase of development and can access the gas. Now, the process is moving faster and faster and the first payments have already been announced to install infrastructure in the area that will be able to collect the energy resource.
Sound Energy has announced that Italfluid, an Italian gas company, will be part of the works to install the infrastructure. This company will be responsible for the installation of the gas processing and liquefaction unit, so the first phase of the project is in the making. "We are pleased to announce that the Phase 1 notification has been handed over to Italfluid. This means that the first phase is now fully underway," the UK company said via its Twitter profile.
The oil company followed up the announcement by stating that Italfluid will have an upfront payment of five million dollars for carrying out the work. This will be funded by SEMEL, another Gasite company and part of the Sound Energy group. On the other hand, the firm noted in the statement that Afriquia Gas had been notified of the decision, in accordance with the loan agreement signed between the two companies a few months ago.
With this they emphasise that all agreements and commitments necessary to start building the infrastructure are already in place, and the agreement is therefore working well. Sound Energy announces that the borrowed funds will be used to cover the costs needed for the construction of the first phase of the Tendrara project.
"This is a key milestone for the Company and we look forward to working with our strategic partners, Italfluid and Afriquia Gas, as well as our joint venture partner, ONHYM, to develop the project and deliver gas to the Moroccan market in approximately two years," said Graham Lyon, CEO of Sound Energy. He announced that more news on how the project is progressing would be released in due course.
Completing the project would mean a new step for Morocco in the gas market after Algeria's closure of the pipelines. Since December, both the Kingdom and the British company have pledged to supply the GME pipeline with more than 350 million cubic metres of gas annually over the next few years. In addition, several financial partners were already interested in being able to contribute and be the architects of the infrastructure, but Italfluid has won the battle and will be in charge.
The Kingdom of Morocco is in the midst of an expansion phase in the search for gas. Studies have already confirmed that the Moroccan subsoil is rich in this resource. "Morocco has several onshore and offshore sedimentary basins whose geology has allowed the genesis of different petroleum systems that could potentially be favourable to the accumulation of gas deposits," said Abdellah Mouttaqi, secretary general of the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHTM).
Recently, another British company, Chariot, made a gas discovery off the coast of Larache. The British company confirmed that high quality gas reserves have been discovered and can be exploited. Other areas of the country are also being exploited. Several natural gas deposits have been discovered in the Gharb area, which appear to be profitable in economic terms. A major pipeline network is also being established in the province of Kenitra. Other expeditions are also underway in Essaouira, Guersif, Zag, Boudnib and Missour, which, if the results are favourable and gas basins are found, would put Morocco in a good economic position.
