Sonatrach Boosts Exports

Algerian state producer Sonatrach has increased exports significantly so far this year.

Sonatrach CEO Amine Mazouzi said that its total exports for the first ten months of 2016 were 89mn mt oil equivalent (2.07mn boe/d), up 9% year on year, reported state news agency APS October 31. Both exports and production increased, he said on a Sonatrach site visit in Baraki, south of Algiers.

Gas exports from January to October 2016 increased by 40% year-on-year, he said without giving volumes. Algeria’s higher 2016 gas exports will be analysed in the November 2 issue of Natural Gas World magazine.

Sonatrach CEO Amine Mazouzi (Photo credit: Radio Algerie)

Sonatrach, BP and Statoil boosted output at their In Salah gas joint venture in spring 2016 and are on target to do the same at In Amenas in 4Q 2016.

Mazouzi said that Sonatrach directly made 28 new oil and gas discoveries in January-September 2016, mostly in Algeria’s Hassi Messaoud and Berkine basins, reported Radio Algerie. Three are still being evaluated. The other 25 have 2P proven and possible reserves of 177.47mn mt oe (1.3bn boe).

Mark Smedley