The Jereh Group, a Chinese oil field services company and manufacturer of oilfield equipment, has announced that five sets of its 1253kW gas engine-driven compressor units have been shipped to Algeria, reported Trade Arabia. The deal is of great significance for China’s energy companies to further explore the North African oil and gas market, said a statement from the company. The compressors will support gas boosting project at Block 405B in Algerian oil and gas company Sonatrach’s Berkine Basin, according to Market Watch.

The project’s research and development engineer, Xiuqiang Song, said: “we have already had a presence in Nigeria and Gabon and by now about 100 sets of non-standard compressors have been delivered for different applications.” Furthermore, Jereh North Africa’s Director, Hassan Ma, added: “Algeria is the largest natural gas producer in Africa and the third-largest oil producer in Africa, after Nigeria and Angola. We are fully prepared to participate in Africa’s oil and gas development as an integrated EPC contractor, and maximise mutually beneficial potential, which will be our priority in future market development.”

In related news, Egypt Oil&Gas reported earlier that Sonatrach had awarded Japanese firm JGC Corporate a $1.4b contract to boost production at its largest gas field Hassi Rmel.