Cygam Energy provides drilling update in Tunisia

Cygam Energy has announced that the TT2 exploration well on the Sud Remada permit in southern Tunisia reached total depth of 1,500 meters in the Ordovician Kasbah Leguine formation.

The Sud Remada permit is located in the Ghadames Basin and is approximately 1.2 million acres in size. Cygam's working interest in the well and in the entire permit is 14%. Storm Ventures International is the operator and has a 71% working interest; Madalena Ventures is also a partner with a 15% interest in the well.

The operator's pre-drilling expectation of encountering a 50 meter gross hydrocarbon column in the Ordovician Bin Ben Tartar quartzites appears to have been achieved. A 60-meter core was cut through the potential reservoir and a full suite of open-hole logs was run. The well is currently being tested open-hole and will be cased for completion and extended production testing to determine commerciality.

Depending upon the outcome of the core evaluation and the initial testing program, the well may require fracture stimulation to achieve commercial flow rates. Timing of this subsequent operation is likely to be within 60 to 90 days from rig release, subject to equipment availability.

Via [Energy Business Review]

OMV acquires exploration license offshore Tunisia

TUNISIA: Austrian oil and gas group OMV has acquired an 80 percent interest as operator in the Sid Mansour exploration license from Thani Tunisia Sidi Mansour, a subsidiary of Dubai-based Thani Emirates Petroleum Corp. The acquisition is subject to approval by ETAP, the Tunisian national oil company and Tunisian authorities.

The license covers an area of 6,592 square kilometers (2,545 square miles) offshore Tunisia in the Gulf of Gabes with water depths of up to 60 meters (196 ft) at the deepest. The field is around 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) north of the oil field Ashtart and is close to the Cercina oil field OMV owns stakes in both.

Work on the newly acquired block will begin this year following the acquisition of 500 kilometers (310 miles) of 2-D seismic data. Thani Tunisia Sidi Mansour retains a 20 percent working interest in the block.

Via [Energy Current]

Mediterranean Oil & Gas suspends exploration well Teboursouk 1

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Mediterranean Oil & Gas Plc. said exploration at the Teboursouk 1 well (TEB1) in Tunisia has been suspended after new test data showed the location of the TEB1 well was not optimal.

Chief executive Sergio Morandi said: 'Whilst we are naturally disappointed that the TEB1 well was not a producer, the results of TEB1 are very encouraging and the Medjerda permit's exploration potential after this well can be considered higher than previously thought.'

The company also said it has encountered significant gas shows at the Ombrina Mare 2 appraisal well in Italy and that the well is proceeding satisfactorily in line with the company's geological projection.

The well had reached a depth of 1,900 metres as of April 23 and is continuing through the secondary target zone, the group added.

Via [HemScott]

Tunisia to go nuclear

Talks were also underway on French heavy engineering firm Alstom (ALSO.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) providing equipment for a non-nuclear power station, the official said.

As I did predict a long time, Tunisia is getting nuclear for peace purposes managed by France when the oil prices rocketed the sky and the dawn of the old French over control in Africa slipping between its fingers to new power domes.

Mediterranean Oil to start drill stem test at Teboursouk 1 well in Tunisia

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Mediterranean Oil & Gas Plc. said it will commence a drill stem test at the Teboursouk 1 exploration well in Tunisia on April 17 after reporting very encouraging drilling results at the well in the recent past.

The oil and gas exploration company also said the Ombrina Mare 2 appraisal well is proceeding satisfactorily and had reached a depth of 1,300 metres as of April 14.

Via [Hemscott]

Many people here are reporting that they missed the reserver by 10 inches and that they will probably have difficulties drilling, but who knows.

Tunisia: Energy - 'Reap Tunisia Gmbh' Granted Drilling Permit in the Gulf of Hammamet

A drilling permit dubbed 'Nabeul' was granted on Monday to the company "Reap Tunisia Gmbh", a subsidiary of the UK- based company CAIRN as well as to the Tunisian Enterprize of petroleum activities (ETAP).

"Nabeul", which is situated in the gulf of Hammamet covers an area of 3352 square kilometres.

The work program for the initial period has been set for 5 years and includes a geological study, as well as the drilling of an exploration well, at an investment cost of 6million dollars.

The convention relative to this agreement was signed by Mr Afif Chelbi, The Minister of Industry, Energy and Small and Medium Enterprizes, Mr Simon John Thompson, CEO of "Reap Tunisia Gmbh" and Mr Khaled Ben Cheikh, CEO of ETAP.

The ceremony was attended by the Secretary of State in charge of renewable energies and food industries.

Via [All Africa]

PA Resources Q1 total production 1.086 million boe

OSLO (Thomson Financial) - Norwegian oil and gas producer PA Resources reported total production in the first quarter of 1.086 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) - down from 1.386 million in the fourth quarter - but up from 637,000 boe for the first quarter in 2007.

Average oil production per day during the quarter was 11,930 barrels per day, the company said in a statement, down from 15,066 barrels in Q4 but up from 7,082 boe in the first quarter last year.

Oil sales during the latest quarter totaled 1.272 million boe and the average sales price was $96.61 a barrel.

That compared with the fourth quarter's sales of 1.117 million boe on an average price of $85.48 a barrel.

'Oil has been sold at quarterly record high average sales price of $96.61 per barrel, compared with $85.48 for the fourth quarter,' PA Resources said.

Production of oil increased, year-on-year, with the start-up of the Volve field in Norway and the El Bibane field in Tunisia, from two geographical areas and seven fields.

The Volve field started production in mid-February and the El Bibane field at the end of March.

'(With) these important events the production increased in the end of the quarter and the production level was approximately 13,800 barrels of oil per day by the end of March,' PA Resources said.

The average production for March 2008 was 12,070 barrels per day.

The company added that in order to install the drilling rig and start the drilling at the Didon field in Tunisia, production was turned off for safety reasons for three days.

In March, the production on Didon was reduced with approximately 3,600 barrels per day, over a period of 15 days in order to install new process equipment.

Production at the Didon field was at 97 percent for the period March 2008, PA Resources added.

Via [Forbes]

Tunisia trade gap widens as oil bill soars

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia's trade deficit widened by 31 percent in the first quarter of 2008 as imports grew 23 percent, pulled higher by costly oil purchases, the government's National Statistics Institute said on Monday.

The January-to-March trade gap was 1.0 billion dinars, up from 765 million dinars in the same period a year earlier. Imports soared to 6.82 billion dinars while exports rose 22 percent to 5.82 billion.

The value of oil imports jumped 98 percent in the first quarter to 1.2 billion dinars.

Government officials and analysts had feared the trade deficit would widen after world crude oil prices hit records.

They say higher energy costs are forcing Tunisia to increase subsidies on fuel, straining the state budget and slowing the country's economic growth. The government has budgeted for an estimated average oil price of $75 per barrel this year.

Agriculture exports, mainly olive oil, totalled 705 million dinars in the first quarter, up from 582 million a year earlier.

Textile, clothing and leather sales to foreign markets, another key foreign currency earner for the country of 10 million, were at 1.714 billion dinars, up from 1.563 billion.

Via [Retuers]

Tunisia grants Cairn oil search permit

TUNIS, April 14 (Reuters) - Tunisia has awarded an oil and gas exploration permit to Britain's Cairn Energy Plc (CNE.L: Quote, Profile, Research) as it seeks to lure more investment to its energy sector, Tunisian state news agency TAP reported on Monday.

Under a five-year production accord, Cairn, in partnership with Tunisian state oil firm Societe Tunisienne des Activites Petrolieres (ETAP), will invest $6 million in the exploration operation, TAP said.

The agreement covers an area of 3,352 square km near the eastern town of Nabeul.

Tunisia, which imports most of its oil needs, hopes new discoveries of oil and gas will boost domestic energy production.

The government of the north African country aims to drill 15 new wells per year between 2007 and 2011, up from eight wells in the previous five years. (Reporting by Tarek Amara; editing by Tom Pfeiffer)

Via [Reuters]

Vietnam oil company on a roll

PetroVietnam found oil in the Bir Seba field, located in the Saharan Touggourt area, after 63 drilling days. Industry sources said this was the shortest drilling period ever recorded.

PetroVietnam has also signed a contract with Kuwait and Japan for a $2.5 billion oil refinery and petrochemical complex. The Vietnamese company was also preparing for oil and gas exploration projects in Iran and Tunisia.

The sources estimated that the Algerian oil field would produce more than 5,000 barrels a day. They said full production could begin in 2009.

Via [World Tribune]

That's completely false, the drilling record ever done was performed by Pioneer Natural resources in Tunisia with the H&P Flexrig 424 with only 40 drilling days.

U.S. navy secures oil, fights drugs off Africa

DAKAR, April 10 (Reuters) - The United States is stepping up its naval presence in the lawless waters off West Africa to secure vital oil supplies and curb drug smuggling being used to finance terrorism, an admiral said.

Washington deployed the USS Fort McHenry, a 600-foot (185 metre) warship, to the Gulf of Guinea last year to train West African navies on improving maritime safety in a region that supplies nearly a fifth of U.S. oil imports.

With local navies too poorly trained and equipped to police their own waters, West Africa has become notorious for crimes from cocaine trafficking to oil theft, known as bunkering.

Rear Admiral Anthony Kurta said the United States was mounting a constant naval presence in the region under a scheme known as the African Partnership Station (APS) to protect the interests of Washington and its European and African allies.

"The maritime waters off West and Central Africa are being used for bad purposes," Kurta told Reuters in an interview.

"Whether it's illegal fishing, illegal migration, oil bunkering, energy security, piracy, drug flows: all of those affect the United States to varying degrees."

In recent months, attacks by al Qaeda's North African branch from Mauritania to Algeria have raised concern over Islamic militancy in the Sahara.

The Lisbon-Dakar rally was cancelled in January after suspected al Qaeda militants killed four French tourists in Mauritania and the group -- believed to finance its activities through drug smuggling across the vast desert -- kidnapped two Austrian holidaymakers in Tunisia last month.

"We know the narcotics trade funds many of the terrorism efforts so that's why the narcotics flow here, while it may not reach the United States, is of interest to us because we know it feeds the activities of the terrorists," Kurta said.

SEEKING EUROPEAN HELP

With European countries concerned by waves of illegal African migrants and rising narcotics trafficking from Africa, the United States is looking at ways of involving allies, such as France and Great Britain, more closely in scheme.

"There has been a growing realisation by a number of countries of the importance of Africa," Kurta said.

Once a permanent presence was achieved in West and Central Africa, Washington hoped to extend the scheme to the continent's east coast, where a luxury French yacht and its 30 crew members were captured by pirates last week.

"We are certainly looking toward that. We are seeing what we can do and what our allies can help us with," Kurta said. "That is a little bit in the future."

The APS's deployment last year came just after the United States launched its African military command (Africom) amid concerns voiced by diplomatic heavyweights Nigeria and South Africa, which fear an attempt to enforce Washington's will.

Many Africans saw its creation as a sign of Washington's determination to control valuable oil and mineral resources, particularly given a rising Chinese presence on the continent.

U.S. officials have downplayed this, saying there will be no new military bases and the focus will be on training African armies, facilitating peacekeeping and distributing aid.

Washington already spends an estimated $250 million a year on military assistance and training in Africa.

With the Fort McHenry docked on Thursday in the Senegalese capital Dakar on the return leg of its mission, U.S. naval instructors coached Senegalese sailors on techniques for boarding and searching small ships and hand-to-hand combat.

"We want to help empower countries like Senegal. We want them to be an independent security force in the region," said Ensign Manooh Azizi, the U.S. officer supervising the training.

Via [Reuters]

Eurogas Farmout of Sfax Exploration Permit, Offshore Tunisia

CALGARY, ALBERTA, Apr 08, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Eurogas Corporation (TSX VENTURE: EUG) ("Eurogas" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that Eurogas and Atlas Petroleum Exploration Worldwide, Ltd. ("APEX") have entered into a Farmout Agreement with Delta Hydrocarbons B.V. ("Delta Hydrocarbons") with respect to the Sfax Offshore Exploration Permit located offshore Tunisia in the Gulf of Gabes. Eurogas and APEX currently hold 45% and 55% participating interests, respectively, in the Sfax Permit. The farmout agreement with Delta Hydrocarbons is subject to regulatory approval from ETAP, the Tunisian state oil company, and the Government of Tunisia.

Delta Hydrocarbons has committed to spend USD $125 million on the Sfax Permit for a 50% participation in the permit. The partners have agreed to a work program which includes drilling the Ras El Besh 3 well, as the first of a three well drilling program which is scheduled to commence immediately. After completion of the first two wells the drilling rig will move to the Jawhara discovery and drill an appraisal well while installation of production facilities is underway at Ras El Besh. The work program also includes the acquisition of facilities as and when required.

Included in the USD $125 million and as part of the transaction, Eurogas and APEX will be entitled to repayment of past exploration costs incurred on the Sfax permit, of which, approximately USD $11 million is net to Eurogas.

Upon spending the committed amount of USD $125 million, Eurogas would own a 22.5% participating interest in the farmout area, APEX would have a 27.5% participating interest, and Delta Hydrocarbons would own a 50% participating interest. APEX will serve as operator under the farmout. After Delta has expended USD $125 million, the project reverts to a joint venture participation for future payment and Eurogas will be responsible for its 22.5% share of any such payments.

Delta Hydrocarbons is a recently formed oil and gas company based in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and is focused on maximizing value from discoveries and mature assets (www.deltahydrocarbons.com).

During 2005, Eurogas and APEX converted the Sfax prospecting permit to an exploration permit which included a commitment to drill one well and acquire seismic data. To date the partners have met the seismic commitment by acquiring over 900 km2 of high quality 3D seismic. The Ras El Besh 3 well will be the commitment well for the Sfax exploration permit.

Also in 2005, Eurogas and its operating partner applied for an exploitation concession (the "REB Exploitation Concession") over the Ras El Besh prospect. The farmout enables Eurogas and APEX to meet all requirements in that regard.

The Farmout Agreement with Delta Hydrocarbons covers, inter alia, the area previously covered by the farmout agreement with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation ("Anadarko") as well as three prior discoveries including Ras El Besh which were excluded from the Anadarko transaction. As disclosed in the March 14, 2008 Eurogas Rights Offering Circular, Anadarko had the option, until April 1, 2008 to commit to drill an exploration well by December 31, 2008. As Anadarko did not elect to proceed, it forfeited all rights to conduct work or to receive any interest in the area.

Via [Fox Business]

DualEx Files 2007 Year End Results

In addition, the Company has announced its entry into Tunisia with its
successful bid on the Bouhajla Block in the northeastern part of the country.
DualEx's bid entails the issuance of a Production Sharing Contract ("PSC")
that would involve a minimum of 100 kilometres of new 2D seismic within the
first two years of the term, and the drilling of a minimum of one exploration
well within the succeeding two years. DualEx will hold 100% of the contractor
share and would be the operator. The issuance of the PSC is subject to
finalization of the detailed terms and Government ratification. This Block
will provide DualEx with its first operated project in an established
hydrocarbon basin with significant potential.

Via [CNW group]

It seems that the south is no more the only place for oil business, after the great discovery and lately production in Tebrsouk, Bouhajla seems to be the second biggest concession of the north.

In Tunisia for decades, 90% of the oil production is located in the south deeper into the desert.

PetroVietnam speeds up key oil and gas projects

Hanoi, Apr 03, 2008 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- -- ? The Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) says it will sign joint venture contracts with Japanese and Kuwait partners to build the Nghi Son Oil Refinery and Petrochemical Complex.

The 7-million-tonne complex will be built at an estimated cost of 2.5 billion USD in Nghi Son commune, northern Thanh Hoa province.

Once operational, the plant will produce liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), petrol for classes 90, 92 and 95, kerosene, diesel, FO, jet fuel and other petrochemical products such as polypropylene, polyester, benzel, sulphur and asphalt.

At a press conference in Hanoi on April 3, PetroVietnam Chairman Dinh La Thang said the parties will sign the contracts on April 7, and may also come to an agreement to establish a joint stock company specialising in distributing the complex?s products.

A series of other key oil and gas projects have progressed in the first quarter of this year. Among the projects, the 750MW Ca Mau 1 Electricity Plant began generating electricity for commercial use on March 20.

Meanwhile, work on the Phu My-Nhon Trach gas pipeline, which has an annual capacity of 2 billion cu.m, is close to completion.

An agreement was also inked to set up a joint venture for the southern petrochemical complex, and the Dung Quat oil refinery project will begin turning out products in February 2009.

Additionally, PetroVietnam has signed three oil and gas exploration contracts in Tunisia , Laos and Iran .

?A project in Algeria is entering the final assessment stage and is expected to turn out products in 2010,? Thang said, adding that the group?s board of directors will have a meeting to discuss overseas mining strategies.

In the first three-month period, PetroVietnam produced 5.64 million tonnes of oil and exported nearly 2.76 billion USD worth of crude oil.

With revenues of more than 4.3 billion USD (69 trillion VND) in the first quarter, or 20 percent of the country?s figure, PetroVietnam now holds an important position in the national economy.

The group expects to earn 18.75 billion USD (300 trillion VND) in 2008, the highest level so far.

Via [Tarding markets]

6th Maghreb & Mediterranean Oil & Gas Conference (17th & 18th June 2008)

The 6th Maghreb & Mediterranean Oil & Gas Conference 2008 (17-18th June) is a landmark event for the North African region, with focus on exploration and development, oil and gas-LNG, new ventures, corporate strategies, National Oil Companies, Bid Rounds, new investment and oil-gas projects, energy law and oil finance, contracts and acreage licensing, and State strategies. Over 220 senior management and Government Delegates attended our event in 2007.

There will be over 30+ leading Speakers at this Annual landmark Conference in 2008, making it the key event in North Africa on the Maghreb & Mediterranean onshore and offshore upstream oil and gas-LNG game.

The Conference is supported by ETAP and the Government of Tunisia, as well as many oil and gas entities involved in the regional energy game. ETAP is Co-Sponsor for the Conference Dinner.

On the evening prior to the Conference is our PetroAfricanus Dinner In The Maghreb (separately bookable) held in the same venue.

Prior to the Conference on 16th June there will be our 3rd Maghreb Oil & Gas: Strategy Briefing, conducted by Dr Duncan Clarke (Chairman & CEO, Global Pacific & Partners), with CD (950+ Images) of Presentations provided for Delegates. The Delegate Fee is at £ 1,950. Discount applies if combined with the 6th Maghreb & Mediterranean Oil & Gas Conference.

At the end of Conference we will host our Sunset In The Mediterranean Barbeque at Le Residence, the hotel Conference venue

The Conference has Official Support from ETAP and leading Corporate Players worldwide.

Via [Oil Voice]

Madalena commences Tunisia drilling

Madalena Ventures Inc. on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary, Madalena Ventures International Inc., commences drilling of the TT-2 exploratory well on the Sud Remada Permit operated by Storm Ventures International.

The TT-2 well is being drilled on a large Ordovician structure which has an areal extent of approximately 70 square kilometres. The well will be drilled approximately one kilometre from an older well (TT-1) which recovered light oil and gas when drilled and tested in 1959. New 2D seismic data shot and interpreted in 2007 indicates that the TT-2 location should encounter the target Ordovician Bir Ben Tartar sandstones 15 to 20 metres higher than in the TT-1 well. It is expected that drilling and testing operations in this 1,600 metre well will last approximately 30 days.

The Remada Block has exploratory potential in the Ordovician, Silurian Acacus and Triassic Ras Hamia formations. All three zones are proven commercially productive from adjoining blocks in Libya or Tunisia with significant reserves potential. The 2D seismic program conducted over the Block during 2007 has also delineated additional prospective structures which are under review by the Company for drilling consideration. The new seismic program has enlarged the potential for the primary drilling prospect in the Ordovican, and also identified several new leads for the Acacus play. Madalena will pay 30% of the well costs to earn a 15% working interest in approximately 600,000 acres in the Remada Block, with an ongoing option to drill a second test well at 30 % participation to earn a 15% working interest in an additional 600,000 acres.

Via [Oil Marketer]