CAPITAL: Tunis

MONETARY UNIT: Dinar

REFINING CAPACITY: 34,000 b/cd

PRODUCTION: 83,200 b/d

OIL/CONDENSATE RESERVES: 308 million bbl

NATURAL GAS RESERVES: 2.8 tcf

With only a single rig running for most of 1999, Tunisia suffered an extended lag brought on by the low oil prices of 1998 and early 1999.

One offshore rig began work at midyear on a joint Tunisian-Libyan block in the Mediterranean.

Centurion Energy/Ecumed, Calgary, was working several oil, gas, and power projects in Tunisia.

Centurion planned to file a development plan for Al Manzah field on the Grombalia permit on the Cap Bon peninsula southeast of Tunis. The Al Manzah 1 discovery well produced more than 225,000 bbl of oil from Eocene Bou Dabbous without water at rates as high as 5,600 b/d and was restricted to about 2,100 b/d of oil due to higher than expected gas production.

Most engineering data indicated 15 million bbl of primary proved plus probable reserves from as much as 75 million bbl of original oil in place. Centurion planned to drill two development wells based on 3D seismic data.

It also planned to re-enter and deepen the Belli 1A well, 7 km south of Al Manzah 1, about 400 m to test Cretaceous Abiod chalk. Abiod produced oil earlier in Zinnia field, 15 km east of Belli field. Centurion participated in a 44 sq km 3D seismic program in the Al Manzah/Belli area.

Centurion was starting a project with Caterpillar Power Ventures International Ltd. to establish a power plant that would use natural gas from Centurion`s El Biban oil field in southeastern Tunisia.

Coparex Netherlands BV let a 4-year contract for the operation of a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel for Isis oil field in the Gulf of Gabes. The FPSO would entail a tripod catenary mooring and loading system with multiple risers. The reservoir is in the Cretaceous Zebbag formation.

CMS Oil & Gas Co. was starting a second well on the Baguel Concession in south-central Tunisia in late 1998. Its Tarfa-1 wildcat flowed 7.3 MMcfd of gas and 735 bo/d on a 28/64 in. choke with 2,392 psi flowing tubing pressure from an undisclosed formation. The El Franig and Baguel concessions were producing a combined 11.5 MMcfd of gas and 1,435 b/d of condensate in late 1998.

As 1998 ended Hungary`s MOL started oil production from a well in Sabria field in the Kebili area. The well was to produce 600 bo/d. Another well, Sabria NW1, flowed 1,200 bo/d and 2.5 MMcfd of gas.

Russia`s Yukos in late 1999 was considering formation of an exploration consortium with MOL in mid-2000. The venture would explore blocks MOL held in Tunisia, Libya, Angola, and Yemen.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. began operating acreage in southern Tunisia northeast of its multiple oil discoveries in the Berkine basin of Algeria.

Agip`s share of Tunisian production amounted to about 14,000 b/d, mainly from giant El Borma field in the south. Agip expected production to stabilize with start-up of Maamoura and Oued Zar fields.

Maamoura, a 1996 discovery, is a few miles off Nabeul in the Gulf of Hammamet. The early reserves estimate was 50 million bbl of oil in Cretaceous Abiod chalk. Oued Zar field, east of El Borma, produces from Silurian Acacus.