The El Merk field is located approximately 300 Km south east of Hassi Messaoud in the Algerian Sahara in a remote, harsh desert location where the terrain consists of large interlocking sand dunes. The El Merk Project has been established to design and construct the surface facilities required for the exploitation of hydrocarbon liquid reserves of six reservoirs in Blocks 208, 405a and 212 in Algeria. 

The El Merk reservoirs consist of - The four reservoirs in Block 208 EMN,EKT,EME and non-Unit EMK operated by the SH / Anadarko Association. The EMK Unit (TAGI) in Block 208 and SH/Burlington’s Block 405a. The IAN and EOR gas condensate reservoirs in SH/Eni’s Block 212.

The El Merk Project will also accommodate the processing of additional fluids from the Sonatrach/Anadarko and Sonatrach/Eni Association existing HBNS/HBN facilities (Block 403a/404a), approximately 80 Km north of the proposed El Merk development.

The development and exploitation of these fields is the various responsibility of three Associations, namely Sonatrach / Anadarko, Sonatrach / Eni and Sonatrach / Burlington. In order to conduct the development and exploitation operations of the fields as efficiently as possible, the parties to the associations have agreed to carry them out jointly. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to this effect was executed in July 2005 by Sonatrach, Anadarko, Burlington, Eni, Maersk, Talisman and Teikoku.

The Facilities comprise a Central Processing Facilities (CPF) processing hydrocarbons, offsites fluid gathering and gas/water injection systems, Oil – Condensate - LPG, infrastructure for both the construction and operating phases of the facility, i.e. roads, airfield, waste disposal sites, living accommodation, administration, warehousing, maintenance workshops and storage facilities.