--> Algeria's Hydrocarbons Potential, by A. Attar, M. Hammat, and S. Ferhati; #90986 (1994).

Datapages, Inc.Print this page

Abstract: Algeria's Hydrocarbons Potential

Abdelmadjid Attar, Mahmoud Hammat, Said Ferhati

With an initial volume in place of 16 billion oil-equivalent cubic meters discovered since 1948, date of the first commercial discovery at Oued Gueterini, in the middle of the "nappes" area, Algeria is the third petroleum producer in Africa and the 12th in the world.

The major portion of these reserves (especially the oil) have already been produced, but ultimate petroleum resources, generated, migrated and trapped in various sedimentary basins during geological history, are far from having all been explored and even less discovered.

The historical analysis of the discoveries since 1948, the hydrocarbons distribution throughout the petroleum provinces and the stratigraphic distribution of the known accumulations, allow a classification of provinces and objectives. It also allows a rather original approach to the future hydrocarbon potential.

-- The hydrocarbons discovered in Algeria to this day are contained in 207 oil and gas fields, 73 of which are located in the Illizi basin, 57 in the central Sahara basins, 34 in the Ghadames-Rhourde Nouss basins and 31 in the Oued Mya basin. There are about 249 productive stratigraphic levels from these fields, among which 105 for the Siluro-Devonian, 63 for the Triassic and 55 for the Ordovician.

-- Among the initial reserves in place, proven to be of about 10.2 billion cubic meters of liquid hydrocarbons, only 25% are considered recoverable with current exploitation technologies. Half of these recoverable oil reserves have already been produced. Today, about 400 million more cubic meters of oil are considered being probable and potential reserves.

-- Among the initial gas reserves in place, proven to be about 4.6 trillion cubic meters of gas, 80% are considered recoverable at this time. Only 15% of these reserves have been produced to date. Today, about one trillion more cubic meters of gas are considered as being probably and potential reserves.

-- If we now consider certain studies relative to the ultimate hydrocarbons potential of the Algerian subsurface, we find that the figures given in every case (geochemical or statistical evaluations) are several ten or so billions of cubic meters for the oil and the gas.

The questions one could ask are: (1) where and when can one find this petroleum or gas? (2) Easily or not? (3) In big or small accumulation?

The purpose of this paper is not to answer these questions but to direct the exploration efforts.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90986©1994 AAPG Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado, June 12-15, 1994