Algeria's Reggane Nord Starts on Schedule
The Repsol-operated Reggane Nord gas development in southwest Algeria has started production on schedule, the Spanish joint operator Repsol confirmed December 18.
Algeria's prime minister Ahmed Ouyahia, along with company senior executives including Repsol CEO Josu Jon Imaz, attended an event December 16 to inaugurate its facilities near Adrar.
Repsol and Algerian state Sonatrach are joint operators, with equity of 29.25% and 40% respectively, partnered by Russian-owned Hamburg-based DEA with 19.5% and EDF's Italian subsidiary Edison 11.25%.
Repsol told NGW that the field complex started production last week and is expected to reach its plateau production level of 8mn ft3/d (2.92bn m3/yr) in January 2018. DEA subsequently said the actual production start date was December 13.
Some experts had expected Reggane Nord would not begin production this year but Repsol had indicated it planned to start the field by end-2017. Production drilling began in 2015.
Reggane Nord, which is understood to have cost $3bn to develop, spans six different dry gas fields: Reggane, Azrafil Sud-Est, Kahlouche, Kahlouche Sud, Tiouliline and Sali.
The scope up to first gas included: design, construction, commissioning and start-up of the central processing facilities (CPF) including a gas treatment plant (GTP), a gathering network of 209km of pipes to connect the wells to the GTP, a 74km gas export pipeline from the GTP to the new built GR5 national gas transport pipeline as well as an accommodation base and security camp.
Prime minister Ahmed Ouyahia holds the scissors at the December 16 Reggane Nord inauguration event with to his left (in blue) Sonatrach CEO Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour. To the PM's right, so on our left, is energy minister Mustapha Guitouni. (Photo credit: Algerian gov't)