{ Oil & Gaz Industries News }

[Casa]

Morocco has signed three exploration contracts with three international oil companies from Cyprus, Canada and Malaysia, MAP news agency reported.




The agreements were signed, on the sidelines of the 4th conference "Maghreb & Mediterranean Oil and Gas 2006" in Marrakech, by Amina Benkhadra, general director of the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), with the representatives of Cabre Maroc Ltd (Cyprus), Transatlantic Maroc Ltd (Canada) and Genting Oil Morocco Ltd (Malaysia).

These bring the number of agreements signed with ONHYM in the mining sector to 17 agreements and six reconnaissance contracts in collaboration with 20 partners.

The contracts cover a total area of 237,195,40 km2, providing for four exploration concessions, 85 research permits (14 onshore and 71 offshore) and six onshore reconnaissance authorisations.

The Minister of Energy and Mining, Mohamed Boutaleb, invited on Wednesday international oil companies to benefit from morocco's potentials.

“Morocco, with its 350,000 km2 of sedimentary basins, constitutes an interesting and practically virgin zone for oil drilling,” he underlined.

“Although we are satisfied with the quality of cooperation with the oil companies operating in Morocco at present, our subsoil is still under-tapped,” he added.

[SE9]

If Morocco turns out to be an oil producer, expect the economy to rise sharply, and the amount of proposed projects to increase also.

[Casa]

yeah speacially that this last year the economy is doing really good thanks to tourism and infrastructure projects, with oil the process of devellopement will be faster, im optimistic about finding oil in morocco because our neighbours algeria and mauritania are producers then there is no reason we don't

[Matthias Offodile]

yeah, hopefully this will be the case

[belgiumguy]

@casa don't jou remember the speech of the king a time ago were he said that they found oil fields worth 20 BILLION barrels near the border with Algeria.The entire zone is heavily guarded with troops.But I don't know if they are drilling jet.But 20 billion is alot, Algeria has aproximately 12.46 billion.

[empersouf]

I hope so to, but wouldnt it be better if they not only produced the oil, but also make raffinaries to make gasoline and stuff like that. Un that way you can earn much more money.

[greenbage]

I agree it would be great if we find oil but also morocco must diversify our economy, and not to rely on agriculture only, we need more jobs in high tech like electronics so we first need education and training this takes a long time.

We are starting to get more companies outsourcing in morocco which is a good thing I think?

Anyway I am on my way to tangier where the sunshine's just checked the weather forecast and its 27 C HOT) I cant wait to see BLEDI INSHALAH speak to you all soon and keep up the great work you guys are doing.

Mustapha.

[belgiumguy]

Originally Posted by greenbage

I agree it would be great if we find oil but also morocco must diversify our economy, and not to rely on agriculture only, we need more jobs in high tech like electronics so we first need education and training this takes a long time.

We are starting to get more companies outsourcing in morocco which is a good thing I think?

Anyway I am on my way to tangier where the sunshine's just checked the weather forecast and its 27 C HOT) I cant wait to see BLEDI INSHALAH speak to you all soon and keep up the great work you guys are doing.

Mustapha.

Are jou able to take pictures of tangier??if so TAKE ALOT

[belgiumguy]

Originally Posted by Soufian

I hope so to, but wouldnt it be better if they not only produced the oil, but also make raffinaries to make gasoline and stuff like that. Un that way you can earn much more money.

I thougt who have 2, wich produce more then the nations consumption.This jear we transported gasoil to Senegal.

[Casa]

Originally Posted by belgiumguy

@casa don't jou remember the speech of the king a time ago were he said that they found oil fields worth 20 BILLION barrels near the border with Algeria.The entire zone is heavily guarded with troops.But I don't know if they are drilling jet.But 20 billion is alot, Algeria has aproximately 12.46 billion.

yeap effectively, and it was just wrong information, i think the speech was for political reasons, because at the time the moroccan economy was in bad situation, it was a way to give hope to people. by sure it was wrong information, and they said that the company was too much optimistic..blah blah

[Casa]

Originally Posted by greenbage

I agree it would be great if we find oil but also morocco must diversify our economy, and not to rely on agriculture only, we need more jobs in high tech like electronics so we first need education and training this takes a long time.

We are starting to get more companies outsourcing in morocco which is a good thing I think?

Anyway I am on my way to tangier where the sunshine's just checked the weather forecast and its 27 C HOT) I cant wait to see BLEDI INSHALAH speak to you all soon and keep up the great work you guys are doing.

Mustapha.

bon voyage and welcome back home mustapha and please take a lot of picture of tangiers and northern is very nice specially in the summer

[shayan]

Believe me you dont want oil...

[Casa]

why are u not happy that you are oil producer, i think that iran is a powerfull country now if partially because of its oil

[belgiumguy]

casa are jou sure the speech was fake, i can't believe the king was lying.

[Casa]

the king was not lying but the company was lying, but for the king he mentioned this fake finding i guess to calm down the situation at that time, but i guess his advisors should have advised him to wait alittle bit before he could anounce it in public

[Harkeb]

interesting development. This would be great for Africa as it would spread developments more widely.

[shayan]

Originally Posted by Casa

why are u not happy that you are oil producer, i think that iran is a powerfull country now if partially because of its oil

No i`m not happy we have oil. Look at all the oil nations.. They are or in War or they have puppet regimes like around the Persian gulf or they are really poor because big companies steal the wealth or they are under foreign presure like my country (because of our oil..)
If we didnt have oil we would be much more developed i think, it would motivate the government for economic reform and it would motivate people to work harder for there money. So in some ways oil is a blessing and a curse..

[Casa]

i think if iran didn't have oil it will be in the puppet side, because this is the rule either be puppet or out, iran is an exeption because it can stand the embargos because it has oil and also it has internal industries
but in general is always good to be wealty at this time, just you need the right manager

[shayan]

Jup Iran is really blessed it has the second biggest oil and gas reserves but its also cursed because we have 100 years of conflict with the world because of our oil and gas... Same could happen to Maroco if something like that will be found over there believe me The USA will open a military fairground in Maroco in a year if they find out there is oil over there or they will call it a dictator ship so that they can invade you...

[Desertlife]

Un important gisement gazier aurait été découvert dans la région de Bouarfa
Une filiale de la Caisse rachète des parts dans MPE, ex-Lone Star Energy (scandale de Talsint). Un important gisement gazier aurait été découvert dans la région de Bouarfa.

Fipar Holding, filiale du groupe CDG, est sur le point d'acquérir 19,14% du capital de Oil and Gas Investment Fund, un fonds d'investissement dédié, comme son nom l'indique, aux investissements pétroliers et gaziers. Le ministre des Finances et de la privatisation, Salaheddine Mezouar a déjà donné son accord, en tant que ministre de tutelle le 22 mai dernier. La publication du décret dans le bulletin officiel est intervenue le 9 juin 2008.

A noter également que d'autres institutionnels marocains privés sont associés à Fipar Holding dans ce fonds, mais leur identité reste assez confidentielle. Concrètement, cette prise de participation s'effectuera à travers une augmentation de capital de la structure déjà existante. De 300.000DH, celui-ci passera en effet à 12 millions de DH. La part de Fipar Holding est de l'ordre de 2,4 millions de DH. L'entrée de ce fonds dans le capital n'est en fait que le préalable à une autre opération qui pourrait se révéler fort judicieuse pour la filiale du groupe CDG.

Le fonds ainsi créé, Oil and Gas . Investment Fund, entend acquérir 15 % des parts de la société Maghreb Petroleum Exploration (MPE), dans les licences d'exploration dite Tendrara, dans l'est du royaume. Il ne s'agit ni plus ni moins que de l'ancienne Lone Star Energy, société maroco-américaine qui avait défrayé la chronique au début des années 2000 après l'annonce (mensongère) de grands gisements pétroliers dans la région de Talsint. Dans le détail, les licences, objets de la transaction avec la filiale de la CDG, portent sur sept bassins dans la région de Tendrara et sont détenues à hauteur de 75 % par MPE. Les 25 % restants sont propriété, comme le stipule la loi, de l'Etat marocain à travers l'Office national des hydrocarbures et des mines (ONHYM). L'intérêt de cette zone de Tendrara a été révélé à travers les dernières expériences géo-sismiques qui y ont été menées et dont les résultats ont été très concluants.

En effet, ces activités d'exploration ont été initiées il y a de cela plusieurs décennies par l'ONHYM dans cette région de Tendrara, qui dépend administrativement de la province de Bouarfa. Mais faute de moyens technologiques suffisamment développés à l'époque, il n'a pu être décidé clairement si le sous-sol de la région contenait du gaz ou du pétrole. Il fallait donc attendre l'année 2004 pour que ces activités passent au privé, à MPE plus précisément. En 2005, la société maroco-américaine effectue donc une campagne sismique 3D qui a balayé toute la région. Ces techniques géo-sismiques sont alors utilisées pour la première fois dans cette zone. Résultat : cette expérience a révélé l'existence d'un grand potentiel de gisements de gaz naturel. Le potentiel est tellement grand que l'Etat marocain, toujours à travers l'ONHYM, a octroyé il y a quelques mois l'autorisation à MPE de creuser deux forages dans la région (il n'en existe que six au Maroc).

Dans un contexte mondial marqué par une grande tension sur le marché, des hydrocarbures et de l'énergie, cette entrée sur le marché de l'énergie de Fipar Holding, est en elle-même un événement qui montre l'intérêt des gisements de Tendrara.

Fadoua Ghanam
Source: Le Soir Echos

http://www.yabiladi.com/article-economie-1753.html