GDF Suez Discovers Gas in Algeria

GDF Suez has announced the discovery of natural gas in the Illizi basin in south-east Algeria.

The Tihalatine Sud-1 well was drilled to a depth of 1,192 meters in the Ordovician shale. A production test produced a gas flow from the Ordovician reservoir of 105,000 cu meters per day.

GDF SUEZ holds 9.8% of the south-east Illizi permit along with Repsol (25.725%) and Enel SpA (13.475%), in partnership with SONATRACH, which holds the remaining 51%.

This is the first well of the exploration program, which began in July 2011 with the acquisition of 2D and 3D seismic data. The drilling program includes four additional wells.  

The contract on the South East Illizi perimeter is the second project held by GDF SUEZ in Algeria, the first being the Touat gas permit obtained in 2002. Located in south-west Algeria and operated in partnership with SONATRACH, Touat is one of the largest exploration-production projects under development by GDF SUEZ.