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Article: ALGERIA - Oilfield Profiles - Hassi Messaoud.
- Article from:
- APS Review Oil Market Trends
- Article date:
- February 5, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Input Solutions. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Hassi Messaoud is Algeria's first and largest oilfield, discovered by the French in 1956. Algeria's first and largest gas field, Hassi R'Mel, was also discovered by the French in 1956 (see Gas Market Trends). Hassi Messaoud is 1,600 sq km and has two distinct zones: HM North and HM South. It produces 46 deg. API oil exported through the Bougie terminal. It has two thick plays, separated by a fault zone, producing from two formations: Cambrian and Ordovician at depths of up to 10,500 feet.
Problems at Hassi Messaoud were encountered in 1984, with some experts at Sonatrach having warned about them since 1982, in view of restrictive budgeting for maintenance. In ...