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Morocco is in the final months of discussions with governments and gas-producing companies over long-term LNG import contracts. Senior adviser to the minister of energy, mining, water and the environment Abdellaziz El Gamah told the Morocco Energy Exchange (organised by African Energy’s publisher Cross-border Information) in Edinburgh on 12 October that the ministry had held “more than 100 meetings with international suppliers” who have submitted non-binding offers. “We project to short-list the international suppliers in December,” he said. The short list is expected to contain the names of three to six potential suppliers.

A striking contrast was apparent in Edinburgh on 12 October, as senior Moroccan energy officials set out the kingdom’s integrated approach to developing its energy security, supply and industrial base. This policy has been promoted by King Mohammed VI, a genuine renewables enthusiast, whose role implies taking a long view to ensure his monarchy remains relevant in decades hence.

The results of drilling in the Moroccan offshore over the past two years have been disappointing; while some companies have made non-commercial finds, no discovery has yet been made to confirm that the deep offshore Atlantic margin is Africa’s next major oil play. But despite this, it is too soon to rule out the possibility that Morocco could one day join its North African neighbours as a global-scale hydrocarbons producer, especially as the results of onshore exploration have been considerably more positive.

Office Nationale des Hydrocarbures et des Mines on 22 September announced the signing of a reconnaissance contract with Royal Dutch Shell for the Issouka onshore area in north-east Morocco. This followed a similar announcement on 9 September of a reconnaissance contract with Spain’s Repsol Exploracion Atlas for the onshore Aoufouss area in eastern Morocco.

Energy minister Abdelkader Amara has presented legislators with plans for the long-awaited energy sector regulator. Legislation must pass through a lengthy process in the national assembly, which some analysts fear could stall approval before general elections next year.

Having combined the jobs of Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy head and Parti Authenticité et Modernité (PAM) leader since 2012, as well as sitting on Sustainable Energy for All’s advisory board, Mustapha Bakkoury has been elected president of the Casablanca-Settat regional government, following Morocco’s local elections. On 14 September, he defeated Abdessamad Haikeur, candidate of Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane’s Parti de la Justice et du Développement (PJD), to secure the post. The PJD emerged as the largest party after the polls – pointing to the likelihood of Benkirane remaining in office after general elections in 2016 – but the PAM, a technocrat party close to the Palace, also polled well.

The extent to which the financial crisis that has engulfed Société Marocaine d’Industrie de Raffinage (Samir) can be resolved with the refiner returning to full production and trading on the Bourse de Casablanca under its existing ownership structure will become clearer after an 8 September board meeting. This is expected to call an extraordinary general meeting for 12 October, which will approve a capital increase provided Samir’s ultimate majority owner, Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi, is able – and willing – to mobilise the necessary funds.

The government has taken the final legislative step necessary for the dismantling of the monopoly on the sale of electric power formerly held by Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable (ONEE). On 27 August, the cabinet approved amendments to the renewable energy law which originally entered into force in March 2010. Once it has been approved by parliament and published in the Bulletin Officiel – which could happen by year-end – it will be possible for small scale renewable energy producers to sell power directly to clients via the low and mid voltage grids.

Australia’s Pura Vida Energy has failed to find hydrocarbons with a first well drilled on the Mazagan permit and has put back a planned second well to 2016. The MZ-1 well was drilled to a total depth of 6,150 metres through three Jurassic fans. Freeport-McMoRan farmed into the permit in January 2013 and will finance a second deep-water well, whose location is currently being selected. “A decision has been made to release the Atwood Achiever from that second well slot,” said managing director Damon Neaves.

Having reported that construction of its first solar unit at Ouarzazate, Noor I, developed by a group headed by Riyadh-based Acwa Power, has been brought in 30% under budget, Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen) is looking at a range of other projects and investments, including a major industrial development investment with France’s Alcen group.As well as expecting to bring the Ouarzazate complex’s capacity to a minimum 500MW with Noor IV, a 50MW solar photovoltaic (PV) unit, Masen is planning a further major contribution to the Moroccan solar energy target of installing a minimum 2GW by 2020.

State utility Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable (ONEE) has launched a prequalification tender for the minimum 75MW Noor Tafilalet solar photovoltaic (PV) project, which is supported by the World Bank (AE 303/10). Companies have until 4 September to prequalify to develop, build (including civil works and equipment supply), operate and maintain (for an initial five years) three PV units on a turnkey basis. ONEE expects the plants to come on line in Q4 16 or Q1 17; if appropriate, up to 100MW can be installed.

AIM-listed Circle Oil is to plug and abandon the NFA-1 exploration well on the onshore Lalla Mimouna permit after finding only gas shows. NFA-1 was the third well drilled by Circle on the permit and was drilled to 1,077 metres total depth targeting Miocene sands. The well encountered gas shows but the reservoir quality failed to meet expectations. The first well, LAM-1, flowed gas from two target intervals, while the ANS-2 well encountered gas shows.

Circle Oil is drilling the NFA-1 well on the Lalla Mimouna permit, the third in its drilling campaign on the onshore licence. The first well, LAM-1, flowed gas from two target intervals, while the ANS-2 well encountered only gas shows. The NFA-1 structure in the southern part of the permit is a downthrown location along the north-south trending Menadra fault in the south-eastern area of the 3D survey. The well is targeting two potentially gas-bearing zones in the Miocene sands. “The ANS-2 exploration well has provided important data to help further our understanding of the Lalla Mimouna permit.

San Leon Energy has signed a rig contract with Entrepose Drilling for the El Aaiun-4 well on the Tarfaya licence. The Cabot 750 rig is expected to spud the well in the second half of August 2015, and it will take around 30 days to reach total depth at around 2,000 metres. The well is targeting Tertiary channel sandstones, at a location some 14km from a potential gas market, the El Marsa phosphate processing plant, near Foum El-Oued. San Leon executive chairman Oisin Fanning said the well was located updip of gas encountered in an older well, with other nearby similar channel targets for follow-on wells.

The city of Fes has started generating over 1MW of electricity from a biogas plant at an innovative landfill facility developed by the US’ Edgeboro International and local partners. The group has a 20-year waste disposal contract and has negotiated contracts to supply power to local utility Régie Autonome Intercommunale de Distribution d’Eau et d’Electricité de la Wilaya de Fès (Radeef). The US/local grouping began their co-operation with the City of Fes – seen in Morocco as a model for African urban waste management – in 2001. With environmental engineers Sadat Associates, Edgeboro drew up a comprehensive waste management plan for the historic city, which was supported by the US Trade and Development Agency.