Page 13 - AfrOil Week 08 2021

AfrOil PROJECTS & COMPANIES AfrOil

Chariot, Predator eager to move

ahead with Moroccan gas projects

MOROCCO TWO British companies – AIM-listed Chariot
Oil & Gas and Jersey-based Predator Oil & Gas
– have announced plans to move forward with a
natural gas scheme in Morocco.
Chariot reported progress on its Anchois
development project in a statement dated
February 22, saying that it had signed a col-
laboration agreement with Subsea Integra-
tion Alliance, a non-incorporated partnership
between Subsea 7 and OneSubsea, on design,
engineering, procurement, construction, instal-
lation and operation services. Under the accord,
it explained, Subsea Integration Alliance will be
responsible for several sets of tasks, including
front-end engineering support and engineering
design services; engineering, procurement, con-
struction, installation, pre-commissioning and
commissioning services; operation and main- Several other firms are working in northern Morocco (Image: Predator Oil & Gas)
tenance of project facilities, and environmental
and social project support. area in northern Morocco. The company had
This arrangement will allow Chariot to push hoped to spud the well last year but was forced
the Anchois project forward more quickly, the to postpone drilling work because of the corona-
company said. “Chariot and Subsea Integration virus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Alliance will adopt a ‘One-team’ integrated and According to a company statement, Predator
collaborative approach to safely fast-track first is preparing the well pad for MOU-1 at Guercif.
gas to maximise the return on investment,” it It is also reviewing its drilling and well engineer-
stated. ing programme in advance of an external audit
The project envisions the development of that may include recommendations for revi-
Anchois, a gas-containing field within the Lixus sions to existing plans.
block offshore Morocco that is believed to hold MOU-1 will allow the company to evaluate
1 trillion cubic feet (28.3bn cubic metres) in Moulouya, a prospect within Guercif that has
recoverable reserves. Chariot intends to drill already been classified as “drill-ready,” according
two wells at the field and will use subsea tie-ins to the company’s website. Predator is optimis-
to connect them to a subsea manifold outfitted tic about the potential of Moulouya, especially
with a 40-km flowline that pumps gas to an since it is on trend with gas fields in the Gharb
onshore processing facility. This facility, in turn, basin that are already being developed by SDX
will be linked to a trunk pipeline that is used to Energy, another AIM-listed firm.
export North African gas to Europe via a 40-km Both Predator and Chariot have 75% stakes
onshore pipe. in their licence areas. The remaining 25% of both
Chariot made its announcement shortly after sites is owned by Office National des Hydro-
Predator said it was gearing up for the drilling of carbures et des Mines (ONHYM), Morocco’s
the MOU-1 well at Guercif, an onshore licence national oil company (NOC). ™

Brazzaville kicks off refinery project

REPUBLIC OF CONGO CONGO (Brazzaville) has embarked on a pro- Dingsheng Investment Co. (BFDI) and the Con-
ject to develop a modular oil refinery in the oil golese government under a $600mn deal con-
city of Pointe Noire following the launch of con- cluded last year. BFDI president Li Yonghong
struction by President Denis Sassou Nguesso. described it as “a modular refinery with a nomi-
The Atlantic Petrochemical Refinery facility nal processing capacity of 2.5mn tonnes per year
is being built jointly by China’s Beijing Fortune [50,000 barrels per day].”

Week 08 24•February•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P13