GDF SUEZ exploration and production
Looking to new regions
The Exploration-Production Division (DEP) is responsible for all the Group’s exploration and production activities around the world. A primary objective is to achieve 2P reserves around 1.5 billion boe.
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Germany
Egypt
Other regions
In 1998, the Group helped develop the ElginFranklin field in the central basin of the British North Sea and then progressively expanded its portfolio of licenses.
In 2000, the Group became an offshore operator in the Netherlands by acquiring companies owned by TransCanada Pipelines. In addition, this acquisition allowed it to become the operator of NoordGasTransport, the major Dutch underwater pipeline. The Group owns stakes in 46 fields in Dutch waters. Forty of these fields are in production, and the Group acts as operator on most of them. As of December 31, 2008, the share of proven and probable reserves held by the Group in these fields represented 118 Mboe, nearly all of which was in the form of gas. In 2008, GDF SUEZ bought a set of oil and gas exploration & production assets from NAM in the Dutch North Sea, near the NOGAT pipeline, GDF SUEZ becoming the operator of NOGAT with a 30% stake. The acquired assets include shares in five blocks currently in production and other potential volumes in existing sources and discoveries with a high potential for exploration. This acquisition considerably extends the company’s activity in the Netherlands.
The Group began its exploration-production activities in 1994 when it acquired Erdöl-Erdgas Gommern GmbH (EEG). In 2003, it purchased onshore assets owned in Germany by Preussag Energie GmbH (PEG). In 2007, EEG merged with and was absorbed by PEG. The entity resulting from the merger is now known as GDF SUEZ E&P Deutschland GmbH. PEG and EEG’s rights on underground storage sites were transferred to the GDF SUEZ Infrastructures Business Line in 2008. On December 31, 2008 the Group owned stakes in 62 oil and natural gas fields in Germany, including 56 in production, with proven and probable reserves of 151 million boe including approximately 58% in form of natural gas. The acquisition of PEG assets enabled GDF SUEZ to indirectly expand its presence in the German market due to its 11% stake in EGM, which owns transmission and distribution infrastructures and markets a portion of the gas produced by the Group in north-west Germany. In 2008, the Group maintained its commitment to CO2 storage research, an area in which it signed a cooperation agreement with the Vattenfall Group in 2007, for an experimental CO2 injection and natural gas recovery improvement project on the Altmark site.
The Group won a bidding process and on September 15, 2005 finalised a concession agreement with Egypt’s national company, EGAS, and the Egyptian government, thereby obtaining a 100% stake in the West El Burullus off-shore block, located in the Nile River delta. Fifty percent of the shares were later sold to Dana Petroleum. In 2007, the Group increased its presence in Egypt by acquiring a 45% stake in the Alam El Shawish West license from Vegas Oil & Gas. At the end of 2008, the Group’s share of proven and probable reserves in Egypt was 12.7 Mboe. In addition, in 2007, the Group signed an agreement with Shell to acquire a 10% stake in the new exploration license requested by Shell on North West Damietta, a request that was accepted by the Egyptian authorities in 2008.
GDF SUEZ is also present in Algeria, the Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Libya, Azerbaijan and France.
At the end of 2008, the Group owned a stake in 29 fields located in the British North Sea, of which 13 were in production. As of December 31, 2008, the share of proven and probable reserves held by the Group (including the reserves held by its 22.5% stake in EFOG) in these fields represented 76 Mboe, of which around 68% was in the form of gas.
Mauritania: After the agreements signed in 2005 with Dana Petroleum, in 2006, GDF SUEZ entered into three offshore blocks off the coast of Mauritania: 24% in block 1, 27.85% in block 7 and 26% in block 8, but the last block is being dropped due to a lack of prospects.
Elgin Franklin
11
Gjøa Fram
Southern Gas Basin
33
France: The Group acquired a 50% stake in the Pays du Saulnois license in France.
Offshore Netherlands
Bains
netherlands
Altmark germany
22
france
Peg
Pays du Saulnois
NB! Oppløsning kart Yalama Azerbaijan
22 West el Burullus
algeriA
Touat
Side Side 10-11. 10-11. Graf Graf nr nr 11 Totalside reserves million BOE side 10 10 2008: gml gml703,7 rapport rapport
Azerbaijan: In 2008, the Group also acquired a 15% stake in the Yalama exploration license in Azerbaijan. No discoveries were made during post-acquisition drilling.
norway
united kingdom
Reserves (proven + probable) Gaz Gaz de de France France E&P E&P Natural gas and oil. Geographical breakdown
Libya: In 2008, GDF SUEZ began working in Libya by acquiring from Hellenic Petroleum SA 20% of an exploration-production license that involves five onshore blocks in the Sirte basin and one onshore block in the Murzuq basin.
Njord
33
11
Ivory Coast: GDF SUEZ owns 100% of the company ENERCI. This company holds 12% of an offshore production site which supplies the local market.
Snøhvit
44 55
44 55
Algeria: Since 2002, the Group is operator of the Touat permit in southern Algeria, in partnership with Sonatrach. The exploration/ appraisal phase ended in 2007, and the development plan was drafted in 2008. The approval of this development plan by the Algerian authorities is underway.
10+11
Production areas 2008 Gaz Gaz de de France France E&P E&P Natural gas and oil. Geographical breakdown
Side Side 10-11. 10-11. Graf Graf nr nr 22 Totalside production 2008:rapport 51,3 million BOE side 10 10 gml gml rapport
1
norway (49%)
4
united kingdom (11%)
1
norway (20%)
4
united kingdom (20%)
2
germany (21%)
5
others (2%)
2
netherlands (36%)
5
others (2%)
3
netherlands (17%)
3
germany (22%)
LIBYA
Sirte
NW Damietta Alam El Shawish West egypt
Murzuq
Offshore Mauritania MAURITANIA
Ivory coast
Foxtrot