- Cepsa carries out its exploration and production activities in Algeria in five oil and gas fields alongside strategic partner Sonatrach
- Algeria is a key country for Cepsa, where it participates in the second largest oilfield in the country
- The crude oil fields operated by Cepsa in Algeria produce almost 140,000 barrels per day
- Collaboration agreements signed in 2016 with Sonatrach open new business opportunities besides upstream
Cepsa is celebrating the 30th anniversary of uninterrupted operations in Algeria, a key country in the development of the company’s crude oil and natural gas exploration and production activities. The Company also works in the transportation of natural gas through the MEDGAZ subsea pipeline, in which Cepsa has a 42 percent stake. To celebrate this anniversary, an event was held in Algiers, attended by government agencies and the Spanish and Algerian energy ministries, as well as representatives from Sonatrach, Mubadala and Cepsa.
Spanish Energy Minister, Álvaro Nadal, spoke of the excellent relations between Spain and Algeria, and added that “the collaboration of Cepsa and Sonatrach is a clear example of team work and success.”
Meanwhile, Pedro Miró, CEO of Cepsa, thanked everyone that has made these 30 years of the Company in the country possible, and stated that: “Algeria will continue to play a significant role in Cepsa’s future.”
Cepsa started its exploration and production activities in Algeria working alongside Sonatrach, and then progressively extended them to other locations such as Colombia, Peru, Thailand, Brazil, Suriname, Spain, Abu Dhabi and Malaysia.
In Algeria, with Sonatrach as its partner the Company operates in three major oilfields in the Berkine basin: the field of Rhoude el Krouf (RKF), the first crude oil field launched by Cepsa in Algeria; Ourhoud (ORD), the second-largest field in Algeria and Bir El M'sana (BMS). In sum the fields operated by Cepsa produce a total of 137,279 gross barrels per day.
Also in the Berkine basin, Cepsa finished the exploration phase alongside Sonatrach in 2015 for the field Rhourde er Rouni II, and the field is currently being developed.
In addition, the Company participates in the Timimoun gas field, which also includes Total and Sonatrach. The project is in the final development phase and production is scheduled to begin in 2018, with an output of 5MM3/day.
Cepsa also has a 42% share in the MEDGAZ gas pipeline, which is being led by its partner in the country, Sonatrach, to provide an alternative route for the supply of natural gas from Algeria to Europe via Spain. The sub-sea pipeline, operated by Cepsa, has the capacity to transport 8,000 million m3/year and is 210 km in length.
In 2016 Cepsa signed several agreements with Sonatrach as part of its strategy for growth to consolidate its collaboration in currently active projects and open up new business opportunities besides the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, taking advantage of its integrated Cepsa business model.
Currently, the workforce of Cepsa’s fields and facilities mainly consists of local employees, representing a significant contribution to economic growth in the region.
Cepsa is an energy group wholly owned by the Mubadala Investment Company. It employs close to 10,000 professionals and operates at every stage of the hydrocarbon value chain. It is engaged in petroleum and natural gas exploration and production activities, refining, the transportation and sale of oil and natural gas derivatives, biofuels, co-generation and the sale of electricity.
The company has developed a world-class petrochemical division that is tightly integrated with its oil refining segment, where feedstock is manufactured and sold for the production of high-added-value components, chiefly used in making next-generation plastics and biodegradable detergents. It has a significant presence in Spain and, thanks to the progressive internationalization of its activities, it is now also active on several continents, marketing its products worldwide.