Neptune Energy announces milestone at Algerian gas plant

Neptune Energy announced a major milestone for the Touat gas facility in Algeria, with operatorship having been formally passed to Groupement Touat Gaz (GTG).

The Touat facility is located around 1,400 kilometres southwest of Algiers and close to Adrar, comprising 19 development wells, a gas treatment plant for gas and stabilised condensate with a gathering network and export pipelines.

Day-to-day operation of the facility has been carried out by contracting company, Técnicas Reunidas (TR), since gas export began in September 2019. Operational handover was dependent upon the signing of the Performance Acceptance Certificate (PAC) between GTG and TR, which took place on 24 June.

GTG is staffed by Neptune Energy and Sonatrach secondees.

Neptune Energy’s Vice President for North Africa Asia Pacific, Philip Lafeber, said: “The Touat plant continues to operate well, emphasising the growing importance of the North Africa business in Neptune’s geographically-diverse and gas-weighted portfolio.”  

Director General at GTG, Ian Conacher, added: “TR played a key role in enabling first gas export and ramping up the plant to plateau and I would like to thank them for their efforts at site. I look forward to continuing to work with the excellent GTG team to maintain solid production levels from Touat as we take over the operator role.”

The facility achieved plateau production in April 2020. Production from Touat will represent around nine percent of Algeria’s total gas exports and will be in production for more than 20 years.

GTG consists of Neptune Energy Touat1 (65 per cent) and Sonatrach (35 per cent).