Renewable Energies and Shale Gas in Algeria, between fact and

Transcription

Colloque sur : Les politiques d’utilisation des ressources énergétiques : entre les exigences du
développement national et la sécurité des besoins internationaux
Renewable Energies and Shale Gas in Algeria, between fact and
perspectives
Le premier colloque sur
Les politiques d’utilisation des ressources énergétiques: Entre les exigences du développement national et la sécurité des besoins internationaux
Mokhtar Osmani
Faycel Loucif
Setif1 University.
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
:‫الملخص‬
Abstract:
Algeria is considered among the main actors
in the world energy markets as a leading
producer and exporter of natural gas, and it is
among the main oil producers in the world,
but its reserves of this conventional energy
decreases from season to another, the reason
that pushes to reexamine its policies in this
field to reduce its dependence on this kind of
energies and exploit the other kinds like the
renewable energies and the shale gas in which
Algeria contains a significant reserves. All of
this is what we will try through this paper to
identify, mainly by concentrating on the
potential of Algeria in renewable energy and
shale gas, in addition to the most important
strategies and policies adopted by the
Algerian authorities in this field.
ٓ‫كبوذ َ الرضال انجضائش رعزجش مه ثٕه أٌم انفبعهٕه ف‬
‫ َ رنك وظشا‬،ٓ‫انمجبل انطبقُْ عهّ انمسزُِ انذَن‬
َ ‫نالمكبوٕبد انزٓ رضخش ثٍب فٓ ٌزا انمٕذان خبصخ‬
‫أوٍب رحزم انمشارت االَنّ فٓ إوزبج َ رصذٔش انغبص‬
‫انطجٕعٓ ثبالضبفخ إنّ أوٍب مه ثٕه أٌم انذَل إوزبجب‬
‫ نكه احزٕبطبرٍب مه ٌزا انىُع مه انطبقبد‬،‫نهىفط‬
،‫انزقهٕذٔخ مب فزئذ رسجم انزىبقص مه مُسم إنّ آخش‬
‫َ ٌُ مب ٔذعُ انّ إعبدح انىظش فٓ سٕبسبرٍب انطبقُٔخ‬
َ ‫ثزقهٕص االعزمبد عهّ ٌزا انىُع مه انطبقبد‬
َ ‫انزٌبة إنّ مجبالد أخشِ كبنطبقبد انمزجذدح‬
ُْ‫ َ انزْ رح‬،ْ‫انطبقخ غٕش انزقهٕذٔخ كبنغبص انصخش‬
‫ َ ٌُ مب‬،ً‫انجضائش عهّ احزٕبطبد ال ثأط ثٍب مى‬
ًٕ‫سىحبَل مه خالل ٌزي انُسقخ انجحثٕخ انزعشف عه‬
‫ثبنزطشق أسبسب إنّ امكبوٕبد انجضائش مه انطبقبد‬
َ ‫انمزجذدح َ انغبص انصخشْ َ أٌم االسزشارٕجٕبد‬
.‫انسٕبسبد انزٓ رزجىبٌب انذَنخ فٓ ٌزا االطبس‬
Key words: unconventional energies, renewable energy, shale gas, Algerian potential in
renewable energy and shale gas.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Introduction:
Energy and its resources are considered in nowadays among the main
preoccupations of the whole world. Its importance in our daily pushes the human being to
focus on the means that can help him in providing it far away about any form of lack.
The reality says that the world faces serious energy shortages and associated high
energy prices during the coming decades. Oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear power
provide more than 88% of world energy needs; the other 12% is provided by various
renewable energy sources.1 In this term the necessity is appeared to concentrate more and
more on the renewable energies and the unconventional as the main alternative to the non
renewable or the conventional energies, and many countries around the world are
switching to these new type of energies, pushed by many motivations, apart from looking
for clean energy sources from the environmental point of view, and others pushed by
searching for new energy sources as substitutes for fossil fuels, which is another reason
providing such drive.
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Algeria, and because of its reserves in the conventional energies, plays a key role in
world energy markets as a leading producer and exporter of natural gas and liquified gas,
it is the second-largest natural gas supplier to Europe, and is among the top three oil
producers in Africa. But there is a big risk that the current models of energy consumption
in Algeria will no longuer satisfy the increase of demand, accompanied by the decrease of
natural gas and crude oil production in recent years. Algeria needs a new energy model
that integrate other energy alternatives to fullfil the future needs. The choice of
unconventional and Renewable energy in Algeria seems to be the most promising and
feasible, because of its potential in renewable energy which is relatively big, as it is
estimated to hold the third-largest amount of shale gas resources in the world.
The main question:
Through what is said above, we have chosen to ask the question:
What is the potential of Algeria in the unconventional and renewable energies,
and are there strategies and programs to use and exploit this potential?
Aims of research:
The aims of this paper can be summarized in three main points:
Give some of illustrations about the unconventional and renewable energies;
Clarify more about the Algerian potential in terms of unconventional and renewable
enrgies;
Study and analyse the strategies and programs that the Algerian authorities
established in order to exploit its capabilities in the unconventional and renewable
energies.
Division of research:
In order to answer about our general question and achieve the aims of this paper,
our work has been divided into three main parts:
The 1st section is consecrated to talk about the shale gas as an unconventional
energy and its importance in the world of today;
The 2nd section focused on illustrating about the theorical aspect of renewable
energy, its main types and some of facts about its use in the world;
The 3ed section is the case study, shale gas and renewable energies in Algeria,
between the fact and perspectives, speaking essentially about the potential and strategies
of Algeria in these energies.
Section 01: Shale Gas, what is it and why is it important?
1- Shale Gas vs Conventional Gas :
Natural gas resources are typically divided into two categories: conventional and
unconventional. Conventional gas typically is found in reservoirs with permeabilities
greater than 1 millidarcy (“mD”) and can be extracted via traditional techniques. A large
proportion of the gas produced globally to date is conventional, and is relatively easy and
inexpensive to extract. In contrast, unconventional gas is found in reservoirs with
relatively low permeabilities (less than 1 mD) and hence cannot be extracted via
conventional methods.
There are several types of unconventional gas resources that are produced today
but the three most common types are tight gas, coal bed methane and shale gas. Given the
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low permeability of these reservoirs, the gas must be developed via special techniques
including fracture stimulation (or “fraccing”) in order to be produced commercially. 2
Figure 01 : the range of conventional and unconventional gas
Unconventional
Conventional
CSG
Gas
Oil
Shale
Methane
Hydrate
Tight
Gas
Gas
Gas
Oil
Oil
Gas
Source: Australia’s learnead academies, engineering energy: unconventional gas
production, a study of sahle gas in Australia, ACOLA, Australia, 2013, p3.
1-1 what is shale gas?
1-1-1 What is shale ?
Shale is a sedimentary rock that is predominantly comprised of very fine-grained
clay particles deposited in a thinly laminated texture. These rocks were originally
deposited as mud in low energy depositional environments, such as tidal flats and
swamps, where the clay particles fall out of suspension. During the deposition of these
sediments, organic matter is also deposited, which is measured when quoting the Total
Organic Content (TOC). Deep burial of this mud results in a layered rock called “Shale”,
which actually describes the very fine grains and laminar nature of the sediment, not rock
composition, which can differ significantly between shales.
1-1-2 shale gas:
Shale gas is natural gas produced from sedimentary shale layers; sevral thounsand
meters below the surface. Shale strata are often a source rock for conventional
hydrocarbons, which are generated over geological time under the action of heat and
pressure, from the decay of organic matter within the shale. Under certain condtions these
hydrocarbon can migrate upwards from the source rock, and become trapped in high
concentrations whithin porous rocks above the shale. These trapped hydrocarbons are the
target accumulation for conventional oil gas production.3
Shale gas is always found proximal to conventional reservoirs. In fact source rock
exists in many settings where no conventional reservoir rock is available for permeation
of natural gas. This is why the shale gas resource is expected to be plentiful…source rock
can be found in other parts of the world, even in those without significant conventional
gas reservoirs. The depth of shale gas varies. In most cases it is shallower than
conventional gas reservoirs, but in some cases, it could be as deep as or deeper than
conventional reservoirs.4
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2- Shale gas, global reserves and production:
2-1 Global estimated shale gas reserve:
Consdering the relative novetly of shale gas develpment, the resource is yet to be
quantified on a national level for most countries. Estimates available are widely varied
with more recent studies proving conservative, i.e., far less than earlier enthusiastic
reports.In 2013, for instance , an evaluation of shale gas resources in 26 regions
consisting of 41 countries without including signicant reservoirs in the Middle East,
Central Africa and other countries. The report estimates the total risked technically
recoverable gas amounts to 7795 Trillion cubic feet (tcf) figure 2 is the outcome of the
report by region.
Figure2 : world shale gas resources.
Source: depend on the report of Advanced Resources International, EIA/ARI World
Shale Gas and Shale Oil Resource Assessment: Technically Recoverable Shale Gas and
Shale Oil Resources: An Assessment of 137 Shale Formations in 41 Countries Outside
the United States, 2013,p 5.
2-2 the shale gas producton:
The United States (US) is one of the few countries to have developed shale gas at a
commercial scale. The impact shale gas has had on US energy market and its wider
economy has been described in terms of a “revolution”.5 Throughout the past eghit years,
the significant increase in the production of shale gas in the US has led to a state of
national self-sufficiency, with the possibility of exporting gas to international markets
starting in 2020, and according to a 2014 I.A.E report on Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals
and Production, canada is in a similar situation. The production of shale gas in the US
went up from 2116 billion cubic feet in 2008 to11415 billion cubic feet in 2013; shale gas
production has risen from less than 2 percent to 23 percent of domestic gas production.6
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Figure3 : USA shale gas production.
Source: Official Shale Gas production data from Form EIA, on the site:
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/ng_prod_shalegas_s1_a.htm.
2-3 Reasons for the shale gas revolution in the United States:
There are many reasons for the sudden revolution in the production of shale gas,
and has made it economically attractive:7
- The upward trend in natural gas price since 2002;
- The development of new techniques for horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracking;
- The favorable geoligical conditions of shale gas resources in US are usually located in
relatively shallow layers and in unpopulated areas,
- Another reason why the production of shale gas has evolved at such a rapid pace is the
fact that in the US, any minerals found underground belong to the particular surface
landowner. Private landowners therefore directly receive financial benefits, in the form of
royalties from the production of minerals such as shale gas.
3- Shale gas production techniques:
As stated earlier, shales have very low permeability (measured in nanodarcies). As
a result of this, many wells are required to deplete the reservoir and special well design
and well stimulation techniques are required to deliver production rates of sufficient
levels to make a development economic. Horizontal drilling and fracture stimulation have
both been crucial in the development of the shale gas industry.
3-1 Hydraulic fracturing:8
Hydraulic fracturung (also known as fracking) is a technique used to create
fractures that extend from the well bore into rock or coal formation. These fractures allow
the oil or gas to travel mores easily from the rock pores, where the gas is trapped, to the
production well.
Typicaly, in order to create fractures a mixture of water, proppants( sands or
ceramic beads) and some epeciality high viscosity fluid additives is pumped down the
well at high pressures for short period time( hours).Eventually, the formation will nit be
able to absorb the fluid as quickly as it is being injected. At this point, the pressure
created (up to 500 bar) exceeds the rock strength and causes the formation to crack or
fracture. Ideally, hydraulic fracture treatment design is aimed at creating long, wellcontained fractures for maximun productivity. Fracture migration to the bounding layer
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sis akin to failure of stimulation job. Problems posed by unconfined fracture growth mau
include massive fluid loss.
The fluids currently used for fracturing a well are water (90%), mixed with sand
(8%) and other additives (2%) like potassium chloride or other friction reducing
additives. Sometimes, fracturing is initiated with the pumping of an acid treatment (water
with some hydrochloric acid), in order to dissolve part of the rock material, so that the
rock pores open and fluid flows more quickly into the well.
Figure 4 : hydraulic fracturing process
Source : Baker & McKenzie, Shale Gas, an International Guide, Second Edition, Swiss,
2014, p5.
3-2 Horizontal Drilling:
Horizontal drilling is a technique that allows the wellbore to come into contact with
significantly larger areas of hydrocarbon bearing rock than in a vertical well. As a result
of this increased contact, production rates and recovery factors can be increased. As the
technology for horizontal drilling and fraccing has improved, the use of horizontal
drilling has increased significantly. In the Barnett shale in the US, for example, the
number of horizontal wells drilled in 2001-03 was 76. In 2007-08 this number had risen
to 1,810. Over the same interval, the number of new vertical wells in the Barnett declined
from 2,001 to just 1318.9
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Figure5 : main technology improvement to exploit shale gas resouces
Source: Alejandro Alonso Suárez, The Expansion of UnconventionalProduction of
Natural Gas (Tight Gas, Gas Shale and Coal Bed Methane), Advances in Natural Gas
Technology, InTech, Croatia, 2012,p 130.
Section 2: Renewable Energies
1- Definition and use of Renewable Energy:
1-1 What is Renewable Energy?
In contrast to fossil fuels, renewable energy, as the name suggests, exists
perpetually and in abundant quantity in the environment. Renewable energy is ready to be
harnessed, inexhaustible, and more importantly, it is a clean alternative to fossil fuels.
Renewable energy can be biofuel, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectricity, solar
energy, tidal power, wave power, and wind power. Renewable energy is energy that
comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat,
which are renewable (naturally replenished).10 So, Renewable energy is a form of energy
capable of being regenerated by natural processes at meaningful rates.11
1-2 Why use renewable energy?
Renewable energies will inevitably dominate the world’s energy supply system in
the long run. The reason is both very simple and imperative:12
- there is no alternative.
- Mankind cannot base its life on the consumption of finite energy resources
indefinitely.
- Today, the world’s energy supply is largely based on fossil fuels. These sources of
energy will not last forever and have proven to be one of the main causes of our
environmental problems.
- Environmental impacts of energy use are not new but they are increasingly well
known.
- As links between energy use and global environmental problems such as climate
change are widely acknowledged, reliance on renewable energy is not only possible,
desirable and necessary, it is an imperative.
-
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1-3 Simple process of renewable energy:
The earth receives solar energy as radiation from the sun, in a quantity far
exceeding mankind’s use. The sun is our planet’s main source of energy. Each year, the
sun provides the Earth with 7000 times our current global energy consumption.13
By heating the planet, the sun generates wind. Wind creates waves.The sun also
powers the evapotranspiration cycle, which allows generation of power by water in hydro
schemes – currently the largest source of renewable electricity in use today. Plants
photosynthesize, which is essentially a chemical storage of solar energy, creating a wide
range of so-called biomass products ranging from wood fuel to rapeseed, which can be
used for the production of heat, electricity and liquid fuels. Interactions between the sun
and the moon produce tidal flows that can be intercepted and used to produce electricity.
Renewable energy sources are based on the natural and interconnected flows of energy of
our planet earth.14
2- Types of renewable energy source:
Switching from fossil fuel burning for energy production to renewable energy
sources lowers the total amount of carbon released into the atmosphere as CO2 gas. Six
main types of renewable energies have been employed in industrialized places for this
purpose and are listed in the following table:15
Table 01: Renewable forms of energy
Energy source
Percent of
Description
Product
renewable
sources
Biomass
53
Burning of plant, materials and
Heat and gas
animals wastes
Hydropower
36
Water gowing from higher to lower
Electricity
elevations through dams
Wind
5
Capture of wind by turbins
Electricity
Geothermal
5
Tapping steam and hot water from
Heat and electricity
the earth’s mantle
Solar
1
Absorbing and storing heat from
Heat and electricity
the sun
Emerging technologies
hydrofuel
Burning hydrogen gas
Power of movement
Nanotechno-logy
Using the unique properties of materials on the size
Electricity
scale of molecules or atoms
Ancient technologies
Water
Water wheels, dams, weight
Power, motion
Wind
Windmills, sails
Power, motion
Movement
Animals, human exertion
Power, motion
(kenitic energy)
As the table shows, renewable technologies may be either modern advances in
energy generation or ancient technologies that some parts of the world continue to use.
2-1 Solar power:
Solar energy is the most important source of energy available to the earth and its
inhabitants.Without it there would be no life. It is the energy source that drives the
photosynthesis reaction.
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The energy radiated by the sun is around 7% ultraviolet light, 47% visible light and
46% infrared light. Its energy content at the distance of the earth from the sun is around
1.4 kW/m2. Each year around 1500 million TWh of solar energy reaches the earth.16
In principle solar power can be generated anywhere on the earth but some regions
are better than others. Places where the sun shines frequently and regularly are preferable
to regions where cloud cover is common. Solar generating stations do not take up
enormous amounts of land but they do require many times the space of a similarly sized
fossil fuel power plant. But solar power does not necessarily require large contiguous
areas of land in order to generate electricity. Solar panels can be made in small modular
units which can be incorporated into buildings so that power generation can share space
used for other purposes.
There are two main ways of turning the energy contained in sunlight into
electricity:17
2-1-1 Solar thermal generation: It involves using the sun simply as a source of heat.
This heat is captured, concentrated and used to drive a heat engine. The heat engine may
be a conventional steam turbine, in which case the heat will be used to generate steam,
but it could also be a gas turbine or a sterling engine. Solar thermal collecters can be
mounted on the roof or the wall of a building, or in another location that has exposure to
the sun.
2-1-2 photovoltaic or solar cell: The solar cell is a solid-state device like a transistor or
microchip. It uses the physical characteristics of a semiconductor such as silicon to turn
the sunlight directly into electricity.
2-2 Wind power: There are many motivations that can push us to use the wind power:
wind is free, reliable, local and affordable. Winds result from the large scale movements
of air masses in the atmosphere. These movements of air are created on a global scale
primarily by differential solar heating of the earth’s atmosphere.18 Today, many polluting
“conventional technologies” like coal and gas, in many countries of the world, are
superseded by wind power – in the form of the efficient, modern wind turbine, this latter
have seen many improvements since the commercialization of wind technology in the
early 1980s.
In the last 20 years turbines have increased in size by a factor of 100, from 25kW
to 2500kW and up to 7MW, the cost of energy has been reduced by a factor of more than
five and the industry has moved from an idealistic activity to mainstream power
generation.19
The architecture of a wind turbine is composed of a foundation, a tower, a nacelle
which fringe houses various components at the top of the tower and a rotor consisting of
three blades that capture wind energy and help convert it into electricity. Gearboxes,
generators and transformers are also integral to this process. And the following figure
shows this:
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Figure 06: architecture of a wind turbine
2-3 Biomass energy and energy from waste:
Biomass is considered a sustainable energy resource because it is a product of
organic processes which naturally regenerate at a rapid cycle (as opposed to fossil fuel
energy sources which take millions of years to form naturally). Biomass can combusted
directly as a solid fuel or converted to liquid or gas biofuels. These biofuels can be used
in either a combustion engine (conversion to mechanical energy) or in a fuel cell
(conversion to electrical energy).20 Energy can be produced also from wastes, houshold
and commercial waste, commonly termed as municipal solid waste (MSW), can be used
to produce heat for generating electricity and for district heating in cold countries, there
are three basic processes to convert MSW to useful heat and electricity, namely the
thermal process, biological process and landfill gas utilization:21
Thermal process which means the combustion of MSW to produce heat. Heat can
then be used to produce steam to drive the turbine for production of electricity.
Biological process means decomposing the organic fraction of MSW through
bacterial action in the absence of oxygen, to form a biogas rich in meathane which can be
used as fuel for power generation. This process takes place under a contrilled
environment in a specially designed facility to allow biogas to be produced in a more
rapid manner.
After MSW have been deposited in a landfill for a period of time, a methane-rich-gas
will be produced. This gas known as the landfill gas (LFG), which can be used as fuel for
power generation.
2-4 Other forms of renewable enrgy:
Other forms of renewable energy technology are also used in power generation
worldwide, such as:
hydroelectric power;
Wave power;
Geothermal energy.
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3- Some facts about renewable energy around the world:
About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10%
coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from
hydroelectricity. New renewables (small hydro, modern biomass, wind, solar, geothermal,
and biofuels) account for another 2.8% and are growing very rapidly.22 And other facts
about renewable energy around the world can be summarized as following:23
Cumulative global renewable electricity installed capacity has grown by 97% from
2000 to 2012 (from 748 GW to 1,470 GW) ;
Renewable energy accounts for 23% of all electricity generation worldwide (4,892
TWh);
Wind and solar energy are the fastest growing renewable electricity technologies
worldwide. Wind generation grew by a factor of nearly 16 and solar generation grew by a
factor of 49 between 2000 and 2012;
In 2012, Germany led the world in cumulative solar photovoltaic installed capacity.
The United States leads the world in geothermal and biomass installed capacity. China
leads in wind, and Spain leads in solar thermal electric generation (STEG).
Section 03: the Algerian Shale Gas and renewable energy, the potential and
strategies
1- Algerian shale gas pontential and challenges of development :
1-1 The Algerian shale gas pontential:
Algeria plays an important role in the production and supply of natural gas from
Africa to Europe. In 2011 Algeria supplied 52 bcm of natural gas to Europe, of which 27
bcm was in the form of LNG. It seems likely that these volumes will increase. One of the
reasons for this expectation is the enormous potential shale gas resources. According the
EIA, Algeria is the third largest national recoverable shale gas reserve after China and
Argentina.
Algeria’s hydrocarbon basins hold to significant shale gas, and shale oil
formations, the silurian tannaezuft shale and the devonian fransian shale, provided the
disposition of the organically rich marine source rocks in this basins.geochemical
modeling indicates that these shales may have generated over 26.000 tcf of gas (including
secondary cracking of generated oil), with some portion of this gas still retained in the
shales. The present day total organic contenent ( toc) of the silurian tannezuft shale ranges
from 2% to 4%. However, the toc of the shale has been reduced by as much as half due to
thermal maturation process. The present data toc of the upper devonian fransian shale
ranges more widely, from 1% to 8% westward acroos the region.24
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Figure 07 : maturity maps of silurian and fransian hot shales.
Source : Mohamed kaced, le pontentiel shale gas on algerie, journees d’etudes : tight and
shale reservoirs, institut algerien de petrole, alger, 2013, p7.
1-1-1 key shale gas basins:
Algeria have seven shale gas basins : the berkine illizi basin in eastern of algeria,
the timimoun, ahnet and mouydir basins in central, and reggane and tindouf basins in
southwestern.
The American agency EIA classified the Algerian basins to three category
depending on technically recovrable shale gas resource pontential:
- High shale gas potential: Tindouf, Reggane and Berkine basins ;
- Medium shale gas potential: Ahnet and Timimoun basins ;
- Low shale gas potential: Illizi and Mouydir basins.
The following table contains the main properties of each Algeria shale gas basins:
Table 02: Algerian shale gas basins properties
properties
Basin area
Gas phase
Risked GIP
Risked
2
basin
m
(TCF)
recoverble(TCF)
43.700
Dry gas
762.6
152.5
Timimoune
20.000
Dry/ wet gas
306.1
59.9
Ahnet
117.000
Dry/ wet gas
1226,9
282.3
Berkine
44.900
Dry/ wet gas
303,7
55,7
Illizi
22.300
Dry
gas
47,6
9,5
Mouydir
117.000
Dry/ wet gas
772,1
146,8
Tindouf/raggane
3719
706.7
Total
Source : depend on the report of Advanced Resources International, EIA/ARI World
Shale Gas and Shale Oil Resource Assessment : Technically Recoverable Shale Gas and
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Shale Oil Resources: An Assessment of 1837 Shale Formations in 41 Countries Outside
the United States, 2013,p 437-438.
1-1-2 recent developments:
On 21 January 2014, ALNAFT launched its fourth licensing round, which is its
first to offer concessions over unconventional prospects. 31 concessions are on offer (17
of which include shale gas prospects):
• 6 in the North: Cheliff II, Boughezoul, Hodna East, Ain Beida, Melrhir and El Ouabed;
• 7 in the centre of the country: Mouydir Nord, Mouydir Sud, El Agreb Nord, Zelfana Est,
Bled Safia, Zeriba and Amguid;
• 6 in the East: Hassi BirRekaiz Sud, Timissit, Boukhechba, Gara Tisselit II, Tan Elak
and Tinhert Nord; and
• 12 in the West: Tamzaia-Oued Namous, AbadlaKenadza, Erg Chech, Guern El Guessa
Sud, Timimoun II, Bechar, Msari Akabli, Akabli Nord, Rezkallah. Bids were to have
been submitted to ALNAFT by 10.00 (Algerian time) on 30 September 2014, and were to
be opened at 10.30 (Algerian time) on the same day. Given that ALNAFT's last.25
Three licensing rounds resulted in only 25% of the offered concessions being
licensed, it remains to be seen how successful its fourth round will be and whether IOCs
will demonstrate an appetite for Algeria's unconventional reserves. On 21 May 2014,
Algeria's Cabinet announced that it will move forward with the exploitation of the
country's shale gas reserves, giving the green light to Sonatrach to find foreign partners to
exploit the reserves, and announcing that 11 wells will be drilled over the next seven to
thirteen years, with four shale gas wells to be drilled in the Illizi basin (Southeast) and the
Ahnet basin (Southwest) in the next six months.
In July 2014, Sonatrach's chief executive, Abdelhamid Zerguine, was replaced by
Said Sahnoun, who held the position of vice president for production. The rationale for
this shift in management has not been disclosed, but comes at a time when Sonatrach
plans to invest US$ 100 billion by 2018 to "reverse the country's recent decline in oil and
gas production and lay the ground for the start of shale gas production". Sonatrach is
aiming to start production from its unconventional resources in 2020, targeting initial gas
production of 30 BCM/year from the first phase development of shale. To better assess
the unconventional hydrocarbon potential, Sonatrach has signed cooperation agreements
with leading oil groups. In 2012, it finished drilling the first shale gas well in the country.
According to Sonatrach, the data and tests carried out on such well, located in the Almet
basin (central part of Sahara), are "very encouraging" with "outputs comparable to those
obtained in the US". Drilling of a second well has begun. However, Algeria's Council of
Ministers has acknowledged that it will take between seven and thirteen years to confirm
the potential of Algeria's shale gas and oil resources.26
1-1-3 working companies in shale gas:
Currently, Royal Dutch Shell, Eni and Talisman have exploration licences for
shale gas exploration in Algeria, with Eni already beginning its exploration phase.
Sonatrach has reportedly been in discussion with Gazprom and Lukoil, who have been
asked to tender for the joint development and exploration of some of the country's fields.
Some of these fields are located over shale plays. The company has also signed
cooperation agreements to evaluate the potential of shale gas and liquids in partnership
with each of Eni, Talisman, Royal Dutch Shell and Anadarko. The results of the studies
carried out under these cooperation agreements are due in the next 18 months. These
[email protected]
studies aim to determine the deliverability of the wells studied and of the recoverable
reserves. In addition, ExxonMobil is rumoured to hav reached an agreement to begin
exploration with an Algerian partner. Statoil and Repsol are also studying the geological
and reservoir characterisation of Algeria's shale.27
The following companies are currently involved in shale gas operations in Algeria:
Table 03:
Company
Activity
Royal Dutch
Cooperation agreement with Sonatrach and exploration licence.
Shell
19% interest in the Timissit Permit Licence in the IlliziGhadames Basin. Other interest holders are Statoil (30%,
operator) and Sonatrach (51%)
Eni
Has begun exploration.
Talisman
Anadarko
Cooperation agreement with Sonatrach. Anadarko is understood
to be examining data from ALNAFT's latest licensing round but
has not announced which blocks, if any, it will bid for.
Statoil
Operator with 30% interest in the Timissit Permit Licence in the
Illizi-Ghadames Basin. Other interest holders are Royal Dutch
Shell (10%) and Sonatrach (51%).
Sonatrach
51% interest in the Timissit Permit Licence in the IlliziGhadames Basin. Other interest holders are Royal Dutch Shell
(10%) and Statoil (30%, operator)
Source: Baker & McKenzie, Shale Gas, an International Guide, Second Edition, Swiss,
2014, p51-52.
1-2 the challenges of Algerian shale gas development:
The Algerian Shale gas industry faces many complex and hetergeneous challenges,
which make the development of this new resouce of gas very difficult and needs a
strategy to provide new options ans solutions. Depend on the experiencies of the
countries which exploit this new resource we deduce some challenges, as illustrated in
figure8 that confront Algeria in developing its shale gas basins:
Figure 08: main challenges in development shale gas industry
Environmental issues
Skills and technlogies
Infrastructure
Challenges
Legal frame work
Concens of local
communities
community
Source: prepared by reserachers.
[email protected]
1-2-1 concerns of local communities:
The concerns of local communities matter and government needs time explaining
to local people why the development is important the measures that will be put in place to
protect the environment and local quality of life, and the benefits that the local
community can expect to receive.
1-2-2 legal frame work
Algeria is unique in Africa: it is the only country to date to have amended its
legislation to provide for unconventional hydrocarbons developments. Indeed, Law no.
13-01 of 20 February 2013 amending and supplementing Law no. 05-07 of 28 April 2005
relating to hydrocarbons ("HL") specifically covers the exploration and production of
unconventional hydrocarbons. The intrnational energy companies complain from the
comlementary tax on profit which including in HL that what made the 4th licensing failed
to atract the inetrnational companies to develop the blocs supplyin it
1-2-3 infrastructure:
Shale gas production and distribution requires more than wells. Production sites
must be adequately serviced by roads and pipelines, for example, and special processing
and transportation facilities are required to liquefy natural gas for marine transport.
1-2-4 skills and technologies:
Skills and technologies can be developed locally over time, but initially, outside
expertise will be needed. Partnerships are vital to attracting investment, improving skills,
providing opportunities for the supply chain, managing safety and resolving issues that
arise.
Sonatrach has acquired a significant experience in hydraulic fracturing (since 90s),
a program for preparing a qualified human resources in shale gas evaluation and
development is undertaken by Sonatrach. In addition, collaboration with experienced oil
and gas companies in shale gas development as well as service companies is an option to
achieve technology transfer objectives.
1-2-5 environmental concerns:
Environmental issues of shale gas have taken a large public debate in the world,
especially in United States, these issues are:
Volume of water employed and the chemicals additives in fliud of hydraulic
fracturing ;
Risk of ground water contamination, especially of drinking water ;
Waste water discharges from frcturing hydraulyk and air emissions.
2- Renewable Energies in Algeria
2-1 Potential of renewable energies in Algeria:
2-1-1 solar energy:
On account of its geographical location, Algeria holds one of the highest solar
potentials in the world which is estimated at 13.9 TWh per year. The country receives
annual sunshine exposure equivalent to 2,500 KWh/m2. Daily solar energy potential
varies from 4.66 kWh/m2 in the north to 7.26 kWh/m2 in the south.28 And as we have said
above, the solar energy has two main technologies: solar thermal and photovoltaics (or
PV). Solar thermal technology can provide both heat and electrical energy.
About 169,440TWhr/year, which is equivalent to 5000 times the current energy
usage in the country, may potentially be harnessed and used to support various
[email protected]
applications. Solar energy potential in Algeria is the equivalent of 60 times the current
electrical consumption of the European Union.29
For domestic use, Algerian houses can be fitted with solar thermal systems,
exploiting solar radiation to heat water through flat plate collectors or evacuated tubes.
For electricity generation, it is possible to use concentrating solar technology to focus
solar energy and run steam and gas turbine plants that drive electric generators. On the
MW scale, solar farms (with many solar units) may be installed in the Algerian desert
using solar towers (as operational in Spain) where solar radiation is focused onto the top
of a tower from concentrating mirrors. With PV panels, solar radiation is directly
converted into electricity. This technology is widely used around the world and is
considered a well developed and mature technology. Algeria’s capacity from PV is
estimated at 13.9Twhr/year and can be applied in various contexts, such as attaching
small panels to the roofs of houses, large panels on schools, hospitals and supermarkets,
and installing large scale PV farms.30
2-1-2 wind energy:
Algeria has promising wind energy potential of about 35 TWh/year. Almost half of
the country experience significant wind speed.31 Wind energy resources vary from one
place to another (geographical reasons): Average speed up to 6m /s in the South32, and
higher than 5m/s in the coast.
This energy capacity is ideal for pumping water to the Tablelands, but is marginal
for large commercial projects. The most promising sites are situated in the region of
Adrar in the south, in the north west of Oran, the region stretching from the Meghres at
Biskra in the East and from El Kheiter at Tiaret in the West.33
The country’s first wind farm is being built at Adrar with installed capacity of
10MW with substantial funding from state-utlity Sonelgaz. Two more wind farms.
Studies will be led to detect suitable sites to realize the other projects during the period
2016-2030 for a power of about 1700 MW.
2-1-3 geothermal energy: Geothermal energy represents one of the most significant
sources of renewable energies in the case of Algeria. Algeria has a large geothermic
capacity, estimated in terms of electricity production, at 700MW. More than 200 heat
sources have been identified to the north of the country, of which almost 1/3 (33%) have
a temperature higher than 45°C. Some sources have temperatures which can reach 96°C
at Hammam Meskhoutine. Further south, the country possesses a vast geothermic
reservoir which extends across several thousand km2. This reservoir is known as the
"Albian Water Table" and has an average temperature of 57°C.34
The hot springs, or Hammamat, has so far only been used for therapeutic and
leisure purposes, however, and their potential to generate useful heat energy is yet to be
fully explored. In general, geothermal resources can be classified as low grade (low
temperature) or high grade (high temperature); in the case of Algeria as we have said
above, more than a third of its geothermal resources have temperatures above 45° C.35
2-1-4 biomass energy:
Algeria has good biomass energy potential in the form of solid wastes, crop wastes
and forestry residues. Solid waste is the best source of biomass potential in the country.
According to the National Cadastre for Generation of Solid Waste in Algeria, annual
generation of municipal wastes is more than 10 million tons. Solid wastes are usually
disposed in open dumps or burnt wantonly.36
[email protected]
Sewage effluents can be digested in Sewage treatment plants. Green and municipal
solid wastes can also be converted into biogas in solid waste digester units. This is
practiced at a sewage treatment plant at Baraki near Algiers. Dimensioned to treat
150000m3/day of waste water, it might generate up to 41000 Nm3/day of biogas, enough
to provide 50% of the electricity need of the plant. Some other sewage treatment plants of
lesser capacities are under construction and the biogas expected will be enough, for most
of them, to provide energy for the plant (Sedrata plant case).37
2-2 Strategies and programmes for renewable energies:
Algeria is firmly committed to the promotion of renewable energy in order to
provide comprehensive and sustainable solutions to environmental challenges and to the
problems regarding the conservation of the energy resources of fossil origin.
The strategic choice is motivated by the huge potential in solar energy. This energy
is the major focus of the programme of which solar power and photovoltaic systems
constitute an essential part. Solar should achieve by 2030 more than 37% of national
electricity production. The renewable energy program is defined through different
phases:38
Installation of a total power capacity of 110 MW by 2013 ;
- Installed power capacity to reach 650 MW by 2015 ;
Installed power capacity to reach about 2600 MW by 2020 and a possibility of
export of 2000 MW;
An additional capacity of about 12000MW is expected to be installed by 2030 and a
possibility of export up to 10 000 MW.
After solar, the wind power constitutes a second axis of development in terms of
renewable energies, with a pilot project in 2012, having an investment of €30 million for
building the first wind farm with a capacity of 10 MW (10 tranches) in Adrar, in the
South-east of the country.
Between 2014 and 2015, two other wind farms of 20 MW each should be
completed. Studies shall be carried out in order to identify the preferred locations in order
to complete other projects over the period 2016-2030 for power of around 1700 MW. In
2013, the launching of studies for the implementation of the wind power industry was
envisaged. Over the period 2014-2020, the aim is to reach a 50% integration rate. This
rate should reach to over 80% over the period 2021-2030, thanks to the expansion of
capacity for mast and rotor blade production, and to the development of a national
subcontracting network for the production of equipment in this fledgling field.39
Concerning geothermal energy, we can cite the ambitious program of 1988 which
was established with the aim to expand the utilization of geothermal heated greenhouses
in regions affected by frost; sites in eastern and southern region of the state.
Unfortunately, this program was has been hampered by security concerns. In the last few
decades, much effort has also been expended to exploit the numerous thermal springs of
the North and the hot water wells of the Saharian reservoir. And more than 900 MWt is
expected to be produced in the future.40
And the following table shows the renewable energy capacity targets in Algeria by
2030:
[email protected]
Table 04: The Renewable Energy Capacity Targets by Technology in Algeria (MW)
Energy
Solar
Wind
Biomass,Geothermal,
TOTAL
and
Year
Hydro
PV
CSP
By 2013
6
25
10
41
By 2015
182
325
50
557
By 2020
831
1500
270
2601
By 2030
2800
7200
2000
12000
Source: MENA Renewables Status Report, IRENA, 2013, P19.
Conclusion :
Algeria is endowed with large reserves of energy sources, mainly unconventional
and renewable energies. From this paper, it appears that there is a considerable potential
for the utilization of renewable energy sources especially with respect to solar and wind
power and the unconventional energy especially the shale gas. However, the level of
development of such energy sources in Algeria is rather primary, but efforts should
increase because of the ever growing concern about the environment friendly sources of
energy (when speaking about renewable energy), and the need of other sources of funding
for the projects of development (exploiting of shale gas). Renewable energies and shale
gas are now one of the major elements of Algeria's energy policy for many reasons:
Due to its geographical location, Algeria holds one of the highest solar reservoirs in
the world, as it holds the third-largest amount of shale gas resources.
In parallel to commercial development of solar and wind farms and exploiting of
shale gas, thousands of jobs for Algerian scientists, engineers can be created as well other
supporting domains;
The need of acquiring of these new technologies used in these forms of energies,
because Algeria cannot afford to be always dependent on foreign skills for exploitation of
its energy potential;
Investment in renewable technology would give Algerian scientists and inventors the
opportunity to develop patents for renewable systems;
This would enrich local economies and contribute to promoting national expertise to
ensure technical independence in the long term;
Development of these forms of energies will encourage international investment and
collaboration, thereby securing funding for projects.
References:
1
Bruno.J.R.Alves and others, Biofuels, Solar and Wind as Renewable Energy Systems, benefits
and risks, springer edition, NY, USA, 2008, P1.
2
3legs group resources, an introduction to shale gas, Poland, 2011, without page.
3
Poryry management consulting, the impact of unconventional gas on Europe, oxford, UK, p10.
4
Lanre Aladeitan, Chisom Nwosu, Shale Gas Development: Their Gain, Our Pain and the Cost,
Journal of Politics and Law; Vol. 6, No. 3, Canadian Center of Science and Education,2013,p216.
5
House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee, The Impact of ShaleGas on Energy
Markets, Seventh ReportThe Stationery Office Limited, London, 2013.p.9.
6
Official Shale Gas production data from Form EIA, available on the site :
[email protected]
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/ng_prod_shalegas_s1_a.htm.
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Triple E Consulting – Energy, Environment & Economics B.V, Economic impacts of shle gas in the
netherlands, Nederland, 2014,p18.
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Alejandro Alonso Suárez, The Expansion of UnconventionalProduction of Natural Gas (Tight Gas,
Gas Shale and Coal Bed Methane), Advances in Natural Gas Technology, InTech, Croatia, 2012,p
128-129.
9
3legs group resources, op.cit, without page.
10
Fang Lin Luo and Hong Ye, Renewable energy systems: Advanced Conversion Technologies and
Applications, CRC press, Taylor & Francis Group, NY, 2013, P46.
11
Dan Chiras, acheiving energy independence through solar, wind, biomass and hydropower,
new society publisher, Canada, 2006, P27.
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EUROPEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY COUNCIL (EREC), Renewable Energy in Europe Markets,
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Dieter Seiflied and Walter Witzel, renewable energy, the facts, Earthscan Ltd, Dunstan House,
London, 2010, P26.
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Trends and Technologies, OP.CIT, P3.
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Anne Maczulak, RENEWABLE ENERGY: Sources and Methods, Facts On File, Inc, NY, 2010, P21.
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publication, UK, 2008, P 27.
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Trends and Technologies, OP.CIT, P93.
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Robert Ferry and Elizabeth Monoian, a field guide to renewable energy technologies, land art
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departement EMSD, Hong Kong, available on : www.emsd.gov.hk.
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Fang Lin Luo and Hong Ye, Renewable energy systems: Advanced Conversion Technologies and
Applications, OP.CIT P47.
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2012 Renewable Energy Data Book report, US departement of energy, energy efficiency and
renewable enrgy, October 2013, P41.
24
the report of Advanced Resources International, EIA/ARI World Shale Gas and Shale Oil
Resource Assessment : Technically Recoverable Shale Gas and Shale Oil Resources: An
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25
National Agengcy for the valorisation of hydrocarbon rsources « ALNAFT », 4th national and
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Baker & McKenzie, Shale Gas, an International Guide, Second Edition, Swiss, 2014, p50.
27
Ibid , p52.
28
Salman Zafar, ECOMENA magazine, without page, available on:
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[email protected]
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Marrakech International Workshop, November 15th, 2013.
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[email protected]

Renewable Energies and Shale Gas in Algeria, between fact and

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