A British energy company has recently launched a significant gas well drilling program in Morocco, a critical step that could determine the commercial viability of gas production in the region. According to information obtained from the specialized energy platform based in Washington, Predator Oil & Gas has commenced drilling operations at the "MOU-6" well, located in the Guercif license area.
Since 2021, the company has drilled several wells to confirm the gas potential in the 7,269 square kilometer license area; however, none of these attempts have yet yielded commercial success. The MOU-6 project targets the same geological layers that previous wells have explored, reaching depths of approximately 950 meters with a modified technical design aimed at avoiding issues encountered in past drilling efforts.
Gas Exploration Initiatives in Morocco
As part of its gas exploration program in Morocco, Predator Oil & Gas began drilling at the MOU-6 well on September 19, 2026, with the entire operation expected to take up to 20 days. Although drilling was initially slated to begin in late 2025, delays due to technical and financial constraints, exacerbated by conflicts in the Middle East that resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and disrupted equipment transport, complicated logistical operations and further postponed the timeline.
The MOU-6 well is expected to reach a depth of around 925 meters, with the drilling process anticipated to last between 12 and 14 days, followed by additional time for measurements and other operations in the well. The company is re-examining gas formations identified in 2023 by the MOU-3 well, which revealed several gas-bearing layers. However, damage to these formations during drilling hindered a precise assessment of their production potential, as stated by Predator in a press release dated September 21, 2026.
To mitigate these challenges, Predator has significantly adjusted its drilling fluids and pressure management strategies to preserve soft and fragile sands, leveraging lessons learned from previous drilling experiences in Guercif, as reported by the French-language platform Bladi. In late July, the British company also extended the operation of its drilling platform in the Guercif license area, in which it holds a 75% stake, while the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines owns the remaining 25%.
Details reviewed by the energy platform reveal that amendments to the current drilling contract, dated October 24, 2022, allow for an extension facilitating MOU-6 drilling operations from August 1, 2026, to October 1 of the same year.
Predator's Activities in Morocco
The MOU-6 well is part of Predator Oil & Gas's portfolio focusing on onshore gas exploration in Morocco, targeting potential gas resources within geological formations previously accessed by the MOU-1 and MOU-3 wells. The company is implementing a strategy to develop Moroccan gas resources with the aim of commercial marketing in the future through compressed natural gas (CNG) facilities or mini-liquefied natural gas (micro-LNG) plants.
This proposed development approach takes into account local gas prices and the availability of nearby infrastructure for export, knowing that actual commercial development will depend on the results of subsequent exploration and assessment activities. Should the sixth well prove successful, it could yield approximately 2.7 billion cubic meters of additional gas, according to an independent technical report published by Scorpion Geoscience in June 2026.
The gas could be sold to Moroccan industrial companies in the form of CNG transported by trucks, with the model under consideration anticipating production of up to 20 million cubic feet daily, allowing for gas marketing without the need for substantial infrastructure development. Furthermore, the high production potential could justify connecting the project to the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, which is located less than 10 kilometers from Predator's wells. However, starting drilling does not guarantee production, as the critical factor will be the results of future flow tests that must demonstrate the gas's ability to flow sustainably from the reservoirs to the well in commercially viable quantities.
As reported by attaqa.net.
