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    Algeria's In Amenas at Full Capacity

Summary

Production from the In Amenas gas field complex reached almost 9bn m3 last year, according to state media, five years after it was attacked by Islamist militants.

by: Mark Smedley

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Natural Gas & LNG News, Africa, Corporate, Exploration & Production, Financials, News By Country, Algeria

Algeria's In Amenas at Full Capacity

Production from the In Amenas gas field venture reached almost 9bn m3 last year, reported state news agency APS January 16. The major Algerian complex was attacked by militants five years ago this month.

APS quoted Salim Djettou, head of the BP-Statoil-Sonatrach venture that runs In Amenas, saying its Tiguentourine process complex handled 8.8bn m3 in 2017. The complex comprises three process trains, a compressor station, and 63 production wells and 810 miles from Algiers and 40 miles from the Libyan border. 

Sonatrach signed an agreement in December 2017 with BP and Statoil, amending their In Amenas contract, noted APS, in order to boost reserves there. The amendment foresees investment of over $500mn to achieve potential production of 11bn m3/yr, and to extend In Amenas output beyond 2035.

The Tiguentourine complex, visited this week by Sonatrach CEO Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour, was rebuilt after an Islamist terror attack in January 2013 in which 40 staff – mostly foreigners – were killed.

Statoil confirmed January 16 that it, BP and Sonatrach on December 20 signed an agreement "to extend the In Amenas production sharing contract by five years; as part of the agreement the parties have agreed to a work programme of around $500mn."

 

BP and Statoil awarded design engineering work to KBR October 2017 in respect of In Amenas and In Salah, its two large Algerian conventional gas producing ventures with Sonatrach.