Page 15 - AfrOil Week 25

AfrOil PROJECTS & COMPANIES AfrOil

Chariot aims to fast-track development work at Anchois (Image: Chariot Oil & Gas)
Chariot Oil & Gas may export

Moroccan gas to Spain

SOUTH AFRICA CHARIOT Oil & Gas (UK) said last week that it Maghreb-Europe Gas (MEG) pipeline makes
was looking into the possibility of exporting nat- landfall in Morocco, he noted. This “makes the
ural gas from Morocco’s offshore zone to Spain. export of gas into the Iberian Peninsula, a poten-
In a statement outlining its 2019 results, tially lucrative market, feasible,” he commented.
Chariot said it had begun investigating this MEG originates at the Hassi R’Mel field in
possibility after securing a licence for Lixus, an Algeria. It passes through Morocco on its way to
offshore block that contains the Anchois gas dis- the Spanish city of Cordoba, which is connected
covery, in April of last year. Anchois may hold as to the Portuguese gas grid.
2.2 trillion cubic feet (62.3bn cubic metres) of Equity in the Lixus project is currently split
gas and could eventually see production peak at between Chariot, with 75%, and Morocco’s state
53mn cubic feet (1.5mn cubic metres) per day, oil and gas company Office National des Hydro-
the statement said. Sales of gas from the field carbures et des Mines (ONHYM), with 25%.
could eventually generate $150mn per year, it UK-listed Chariot has said it hopes to team up
added. with a partner to develop the licence area.
Larry Bottomley, the company’s CEO, indi-
cated that Chariot’s first priority would be to Mesorif exploration
deliver gas from Anchois to individual thermal In related news, a subsidiary of the US major
power plants (TPPs) in Morocco. He also said, ConocoPhillips has reportedly secured a new
though, that Chariot would be willing to sell its exploration permit from Office National des
surplus production to local industrial consum- Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM),
ers or to traders working in Spain. Morocco’s state oil and gas concern.
“Initial discussions have been held with OHNYM said earlier this month that it had
ONEE [Office National de l’Electricite et de awarded the permit to ConocoPhillips Morocco
l’Eau Potable], the Moroccan state electricity Ventures (CMV). The document provides
company, and the key players in the Spanish gas for CMV to explore Mesorif, a coastal area in
market with a view to future gas offtake arrange- the northern part of the country, it reported.
ments,” Bottomley said. It did not provide many identifying details,
He did not name any members of the latter but it noted that the contract had been signed
group, but he did say that Chariot was aiming to by Amina Benkhadra, the general director of
accelerate development work at Anchois. “The OHNYM, and Melissa Anne Coleman, the
fast-track base-case development option we are vice-president of CMV.
focusing on is a low-cost subsea-to-shore model The permit calls for ConocoPhillips to
with two subsea wells tied into a subsea mani- explore Mesorif for a period of two years. The US
fold, from which a 40-km flowline and umbilical major will conduct geological and geophysical
connect to an onshore central processing facility studies of the area during the first year and will
(CPF),” he stated. then proceed to collect 2D seismic data during
The fast-track plan takes advantage of the the second year. This will allow the companies to
fact that gas from Anchois could easily be trans- assess the area’s potential.
ported to Spain, Bottomley added. The Lixus As of press time, the terms of the deal had not
block lies within 30 km of the site where the been divulged. ™

Week 25 24•June•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P15