By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Jan. 3 -- First production of 75,000 b/d of oil has started from Ourhoud oil field—Algeria's second largest—OPEC News Agency reported state oil firm Sonatrach as saying Thursday. The field, which lies in the northeastern part of that country in the Ghadames basin, is about 125 km west of the southern tip of Tunisia and about 250 km east-southeast of Hassi Messaoud, Algeria's largest oil field.
According to a statement released by Sonatrach, OPECNA said the field was brought into production 1 month ahead of schedule. At the end of February, Sonatrach expects the field's production to reach its peak of 230,000 b/d of oil, OPECNA stated.
Ourhoud field is held 51% by Sonatrach; other participating partners include Spain's Cepsa and US-based Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and Burlington Resources Inc..
With the coming on stream of the Ourhoud field, the country's production capacity is expected to exceed 1.3 million b/d compared with 1.1 million b/d currently, OPECNA said.
