Neptune Energy and Sonatrach announced first gas export production from the Touat gas development in Algeria, according to a company statement.

Touat is expected to produce around 75,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) at plateau, about 450 million standard cubic feet per day (mscf/d) of gas. It is production is forecasted to continue for 20 years, accounting for around 6% of Algeria’s total gas exports.

The field consists of 19 development wells, a gas treatment plant for gas and stabilized condensate, with a gathering network and export pipelines.

“We have made significant investment in the Touat project and this milestone represents a series of firsts for our business; the first North Africa project we have seen over the line and the first we have taken forward as an operator in the country, alongside our partner Sonatrach,” said Neptune CEO, Jim House.

The development project is located around 1,400 kilometers southwest of Algiers, Algeria’s capital, and is close to the Adrar province.