Morocco’s Office National des Hydrocorbures et des Mines (ONHYM) has set a deadline in August for the exploration of the acreage in the Gharb Centre area of the greater Gharb basin in the northern portion of the country.

According to ONHYM, companies interested in exploring Morocco’s Gharb Center area should start making arrangement for their bids as its data room will be opened from July 1 through to July 29, and the bids will be launched on August 25.The tender includes 1,362 km² of acreage, not including the three zones where ONHYM fields and infrastructure is situated.

For the past 15 years, 18 wells have been drilled in the area, permitting ONHYM to keep 1,620 km of 2D seismic and 527 km² of 3D seismic.

Gulfsands Petroleum concluded its Dardara Southeast 1 well in the area in January 2015. Well testing was performed at an average of 7.1 Mmcf/d of natural gas through a 32/64” choke, Petroleum Africa reports.

Anita Fatunji