ALGERIA - Gasfield - Rhourde Nouss.

The second largest gas producer located 270 km S-E of Hassi Messaoud, Rhourde Nouss is said to have 370 BCM of proven gas reserves and over 1 BCM of probable reserves. The area consists of five fields: Rhourde Nouss (the first discovery in 1980), Rhourde Nouss Sud-Est, Rhourde Adra, Rhourde Chouff and Rhourde Hamra. The gas is in a Triassic formation at a depth of 9,850 feet. Around the fields are oil producing structures.

The fifth train in the area's gas processing plant, inaugurated on Feb.24, 2000, increased the system's capacity from 39.2 MCM/d to 48.3 MCM/y. The train can produce 3,860 t/d of LPG, 612 t/d of condensate and 46 MCM/d of dry gas. The $538m train was built by SNC Lavalin of Canada. The first four trains were built by Snamprogetti in the 1980s.

To fulfill its export obligation to Spain, Sonatrach in mid-1996 contracted SNC Lavalin for a $345m project to raise production at the Rhourde Nouss system by 270 MCF/d. On Feb. 6, 1998, Lavalin got an addendum, worth $120m, to upgrade existing facilities and boost production further. Work includes a new gas slug catcher, modifications to the dehydration system of the existing condensate extraction lines and minor changes to other installations. Lavalin did the engineering, procurement and construction.

Rhourde Chouff and Rhourde Hamra were brought on stream in 1992. The older ones were developed further by an Italian group led by Snamprogetti and completed in 1987. Facilities include a gas gathering/distribution grid of about 350 km, four degasolining units to process 41 MCM/d of gas from the Rhourde Nouss and Rhourde Adra fields and a 39 MCM/d reinjection station.