The Upstream activity includes the hydrocarbons research, exploration, development and production operations. These are carried out by Sonatrach alone or in partnership with other oil companies.
16 discoveries achieved in 2009 alone and 07 in partnership

29 discoveries of hydrocarbons made in 2010: 27 in own effort and 02 in partnership, as at November 2010
Sonatrach made two oil discoveries internationally through its subsidiary Sipex in partnership with the National Oil Corporation (NOC). These discoveries have been made in the Ghadamès basin at approximately 230 km to the South of Tripoli, in Libya.
Almost the totality of the discovered reserves to date is located in the Eastern part of the Sahara. The geographical distribution, on the basis of a breakdown of the mining sector in several more or less homogeneous oil provinces, results in the following:

• 67% of oil and gas reserves are contained in the provinces of Oued Mya and Hassi Messaoud, where are located the two giant deposits of Hassi R’Mel (gas) and Hassi Messaoud (oil);
• The Illizi basin ranks 3rd with 14% of initial reserves in place;
• Then come the Rhourde Nouss basin (9%), the Ahnet Timimoun basin (4%) and the Berkine basin.

The nature of hydrocarbons in each province is as follows:

• the province of Hassi Messaoud-Dahar corresponding to the one of the most important tectonic events of the Sahara, contains 71% of oil reserves;
• the province of Oued Mya, a primarily Mesozoic basin, contains mostly gas (50% of the reserves) and a part of oil (6%);
• the Illizi basin, mainly Paleozoic in age, contains, in terms of percentage, as much oil (15%) as gas (14%);• the provinces of Rhourde Nouss and Berkine correspond to basins which geological history is somewhat complex (Paleozoic and Mesozoic). They contain 19% of gas (mostly in Rhourde Nouss) of which almost the half is probable or possible and 8% of oil;
• the Ahnet-Timimoun basin, primarily Paleozoic in age, only contains gas (13%) of which the half is still classified as probable and possible.
  
  

Situation of oil and gas deposits

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