Chariot Oil and Gas has determined that the development of the Anchois Field is technically feasible.
The potential is there “for either a single phase or a staged development to commercially optimise access to different parts of the Moroccan gas market”, the company reports, after a quick look evaluation, adding: “Morocco has a growing energy market with attractive gas prices that underpins a commercially attractive project”.
The Anchois field was discovered 10 years ago by Repsol and it has lain fallow since then. In March 2019, Moroccan authorities awarded Chariot O&G a 75% interest and operatorship of the Lixus Offshore Licence, which hosts the Anchois field. Chariot’s parner on the acreage is the state hydrocarbon company Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM), which holds a 25% carried interest.
The Moroccan gas market has considerable headroom to grow. The average price of gas is entirely deregulated and it is about $9.00 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf). This price is based on alternative supply which is imported compressed natural gas or “bottled gas” at $18.00/Mcf. Natural Gas is sold directly to local industrial users (mainly ceramic manufacturers) and local gas demand significantly outstrips supply
Chariot says that options for the development of the Anchois field include a “subsea-to-shore” concept, employing proven industry standard technical solutions and equipment. This concept consists of subsea production wells tied to a subsea manifold, from which a subsea flowline and umbilical connect the field to an onshore Central Processing Facility, where gas is processed and then delivered into the Maghreb-Europe Gas pipeline via an onshore gas flowline.
The company has initiated an Environmental Impact Assessment to facilitate appraisal operations in 2020· Chariot says it is willing to re-enter the suspended Anchois-1 gas discovery well, “which may be completed as a producer well”.
