Annual Report 2008 - Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines

MESSAGE FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
The year 2008 confirmed the continuing improvement of the performances of ONHYM in comparison
with the previous year with regard to the tangible results achieved in both mining and hydrocarbon
exploration, two core activities that were led in synergy with the development of several partnerships.
This was shown, in particular, by an extension of prospecting zones and an intensification of the work
undertaken, allowing the identification of encouraging prospects.
For ONHYM, 2008 has been year of continuity and deepening of its activities with a maintained
pace in spite of the disturbances undergone by the international markets of the mineral and energy
raw materials. The budgets dedicated to the mining and oil exploration recorded a slight increase
compared to the year 2007.
Petroleum Exploration concerned a mining domain of nearly 321 707 km 2 against 288 349 km 2 in the
previous year, mainly as a result of the conclusion of two new petroleum agreements and three new
reconnaissance contracts associating new international operators.
Exploration efforts of our partners concerned the realization of four drilling wells among which one in
offshore, and the acquisition of 2 431 km of 2D seismic survey and 486 km 2 of 3D seismic survey,
recording a net progress compared to the year 2007. Gravimetric and magneto metric airborne
surveys, covering 6 4351 km, as well as the ground gravimetric campaign (2578 stations) were also
carried out in areas that have been until now underexplored.
Anomalies and potential structures, play concepts and promising prospects were identified on
several permits, both offshore and onshore. Some studies were conclusive enough to identify the
location of twelve wells and to start the preparation of platforms for their realization in 2009.
The various steps for the development of the oil shales in the frame of partnerships have noticeably
progressed on the Tarfaya and Timahdit deposits.
As far as Mining Exploration is concerned, research themes were diversified and the activity has
been focused on the most promising zones, thanks to the intensification of a conceptual targeting,
which allowed the identification of new objectives.
The works performed in a mining domain including 855 licenses, concerned 26 objectives among
which 16 for precious metals, 8 for basic metals and 2 for rocks and industrial minerals.
In continuity of the previous years, works have been achieved on the most prospective zones of
the Anti Atlas, the High Atlas Mountains and Jebilets-Guemassa, with a sustained research effort in
the Southern provinces, where an important campaign of regional geochemistry was achieved. The
projects that have been given a particular interest include Azouggar N’Tilili’s (polymetallic-gold), Glibat
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Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines