Morocco extracts shale gas covertly on Algerian border!

In an unexpected move, the Moroccan authorities have begun exploration of shale gas deposits across the country’s regions bordering Algeria by concluding to this effect a number of commercial contracts with foreign companies already operating in oil-rich areas.

Reports say that the relevant geological  studies are nearing completion across all wells which have been prepared in utter secrecy, especially as prospecting for shale gas along the common border could confuse between the natural wealth of Algeria and Morocco and could have unforeseen environmental effects across the common frontier.

Meanwhile, “Gulfsands Petroleum”, a company exploring the emerging shale potential in Morocco, said Tuesday exploration results there were better than expected.

The company said its drilling operations in a permit area in northern Morocco were completed two days ahead of schedule and yielded “significantly elevated gas readings.”

Morocco is one of the West African countries that have drawn interest from international energy companies eager to tap into unexploited reserves.

The country holds about 20 trillion cubic feet of recoverable shale oil and natural gas reserves.

The Kingdom of Morocco, a relatively poor country, has large reserves of oil shale that contains kerogen. Within the country there are many proposals for development into synthetic oil or directly burned for electricity coming from international energy companies. Morocco, alongside Jordan, is a historically oil -deficient nation-state that plans to extract oil from shale and has recently been invited into the Gulf-Cooperation Council.

For oil from shale production, estimates are that up to 50.000 bpd could soon be produced in Morocco (perhaps involving the refinery near Casablanca). This number does not include the amount of shale mined and burned at the shale powered electrical plant in the North of the country.

Morocco has a potable water problem, as well as a crisis of deforestation. Expansion of these industries will only exacerbate these issues, while integrating Morocco into the regions energy supplier model. Western Sahara is still occupied by Morocco and part of the Tarfaya deposit is in occupied Sahrawi territory. Greenhouse Gas Emissions are expected to climb exponentially with such energy-related developments.