PA eyes 2020 Zarat start-up offshore Tunisia

PA Resources has submitted an updated plan of development for the Zarat field to Tunisian authorities.

The updated plan, developed by PA and partner, state oil company, L’Entreprise Tunisienne d’Activités Pétrolières (ETAP) will see a two phase development, with the first phase comprising four production wells and productoin facilities to process and export 20,000 b/d and 100 MMscf/d gas. Phase two would see a further four development wells and expanded facilities to increase capacity to 40,000 b/d and 200 MMscf/d. First oil would be expected in 2020. 

The plan for development makes use of existing Gulf of Gabes infrastructure for the reinjection of CO2. 

PA says the Zarat field is a large, shallow water, gas condensate and oil field containing estimated recoverable reserves of 147 MMboe. According to PA, it is Tunisia’s largest undeveloped field and production from Zarat field will be critical in alleviating a forecast future gas supply deficit in Tunisia.

The field is geologically similar to the firm's nearby Didon Field and to other producing fields such as Ashtart and Hasdrubal fields in Tunisia and the giant El Bouri and Al Jurf fields in Libya.

The Zarat field extends across two license tracts; the Zarat license to the south and Joint Oil's block to the north. 

The Zarat facilities also have the potential to act as a hub to facilitate development of nearby stranded oil and gas fields in the eastern Gulf of Gabes, such as PA Resources’ Elyssa gas field.

Following acceptance of the Zarat plan of development, the project will enter a front-end engineering design phase with project sanction during 2017.

PA Resources CEO, Mark McAllister commented: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone on the Zarat field. The Plan of Development is the result of dedicated work and close collaboration between PA Resources and ETAP, which has achieved total alignment on the optimum approach to maximize resource recovery and value from the Zarat field. The phased approach to development allows reduced capital outlay to achieve commercial production from what is a most important field development for Tunisia.”