Predator Oil & Gas begins drilling at MOU-5 onshore Morocco
() , a Jersey-based hydrocarbon explorer, announced the commencement of drilling operations in its Guercif licence onshore Morocco at the MOU-5 well site.
Predator said drilling at MOU-5 commenced on March 3 2025, and will continue throughout the month until all pre-drill potential reservoir intervals have been intersected.
The next update from MOU-5 should come after wireline logging has been completed and the results have been fully interpreted after an independent petrophysical analysis.
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Predator has confirmed the start of drilling operations at its MOU-5 well site on the Guercif license in Morocco. 's portfolio will gain further diversification through the high-value gas asset, supported by Morocco's favourable fiscal regime. The prospective gross recoverable gas resource for the Titanosaurus structure - the primary reservoir target at MOU-5 - was last reported as 5.912 TCF (P50 upside case) on August 8, 2024.
Additionally, in September 2024 highlighted the potential for helium on the Guercif license, as detailed by an independent report by Scorpion Geoscience. The prospective gross estimate of in-place helium ranged from 104.31 BCF (P50 upside case) to 598.88 BCF (P10 upside case).
The Guercif license equity holders are Predator (operator) at 75% interest, and ONHYM - Morocco's state oil company - at 25% interest. The license was issued for 8 years. Guercif has been lightly explored with 4 deep exploration wells drilled by Elf in 1972 (GRF-1), Phillips in 1979 (TAF-1X), ONAREP (the forerunner of ONHYM) in 1985 and 1986 (MSD-1 and KDH-1), and 2 shallow stratigraphic wells drilled by BRPM for coal exploration in the 1950s.
The Moulouya (MOU) prospect is a low-risk proven gas play that is a potentially play-opening opportunity for shallow gas in multiple, high-quality reservoirs at depths of 2,000 to 5,000 ft. The prospect lies just 9 km from the Maghreb gas pipeline where significant spare capacity exists for the transport of gas either for domestic use or for export to the EU. Capex is expected to be very low given the shallow drilling depths, high recoveries per well based on potentially contiguous reservoir sands, anticipated quality of the dry gas, and proximity to the Maghreb pipeline.
Drilling at MOU-5 aligns with the ongoing global energy shift toward increased gas exploration, partly driven by dwindling gas reserves in Europe during the 2024/25 winter season, alongside geopolitical concerns over gas security and supply. European policymakers are further motivated by advancing net zero targets as gas has a significantly lower carbon footprint than competing hydrocarbons, making it a good transitional energy source. Moroccan gas is also a good hedge against energy price volatility that could result from current geopolitical and trade uncertainty.
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