San Leon Energy released recently an update regarding its oil and gas exploration campaign in Morocco.
The company said that in its Timehdit permit, located near Ifrane, “oil shale in Morocco produced first oil during Enefit Bench Tests.”
The company added that the oil it discovered “has successfully flowed from the Enefit retort process, and while tests and analysis [conducted in Frankfurt, Germany] are ongoing, the initial results are very encouraging.”
“Final results will be utilised to update the project feasibility study and enable consideration of the upgrading options for the raw oil,” the company added.
Though the piece of news may sound quite exciting to mainstream Moroccans, it is worth reminding that the Timahdit permit is located only few kilometers away from the touristic city of Ifrane. This may prompt environmental concerns when it comes to extracting the shale oil, especially in a region where the environmental “Ifrane National Park” is located.
On another note, and concerning its other permits in Morocco, San Leon said it has “relinquished the Tarfaya oil shale licence,” as the “Timahdit licence offers greater oil shale potential” and that “the Nour prospect, offshore Morocco,” is still being drilled.
The Moroccan Times.
