GDF Suez, Partners Strike Gas in Algeria

GDF Suez, through its subsidiary GDF Suez E&P International, has made a gas discovery in the Illizi Basin located in southeast Algeria.

The TESO-2 well was drilled to a depth of 1,307 meters in the Ordovician reservoir and produced a gas flow of 175,000 cubic meters per day, the company said. Appraisal work will be conducted later to assess the size of the discovery.

TESO-2 is the first well of the second exploration program carried out under this licence, which started in January 2015. The drilling program includes at least four additional appraisal wells.

Two discoveries had been made during the first exploration phase in 2012 and 2013 respectively with the TIHS-1 and TDE-1 wells.

GDF SUEZ holds 20% of the Sud-Est Illizi licence alongside the operator Repsol (52.5%) and Enel Spa (27.5 %). SONATRACH will participate with a 51% stake in the development and production phases.

The Sud-Est Illizi licence is the second project of GDF SUEZ in Algeria, after the Touat project that is currently in development phase, with a 2017 production target. Located in southwest Algeria and operated in partnership with SONATRACH, Touat is a major natural gas production project for GDF Suez, with proven and probable reserves of 68.5 billion cubic meters, plus 8.5 million barrels of condensate.