Viridien teams up with ONHYM to unlock Morocco's hydrocarbon potential

Geoscience specialist Viridien has announced a landmark multi-client collaboration agreement with the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM), Morocco's national agency for hydrocarbon and mineral resource development

The collaboration defines a joint framework for providing integrated subsurface data and analytics across Morocco's extensive and underexplored offshore and onshore sedimentary basins.

Through this collaboration, Viridien and ONHYM are looking to set new standards for subsurface evaluation, technical rigour and knowledge exchange, reinforcing Morocco's standing as an attractive destination for hydrocarbon investment in North Africa.

Amina Benkhadra, CEO of ONHYM, said, “This collaboration reflects ONHYM’s commitment to fostering innovation and international partnerships that unlock Morocco’s hydrocarbon potential. By combining our regional expertise and geoscientific knowledge with Viridien’s advanced technologies and capabilities, we are creating a powerful platform to enhance subsurface understanding, attract investment and accelerate exploration opportunities across Morocco.”

Dechun Lin, head of Earth Data, Viridien, said, “This collaboration marks a pivotal moment for Viridien as we deepen our presence in Africa and forge an enduring, partnership-driven relationship with ONHYM. By integrating our industry-leading imaging and data science capabilities with ONHYM's regional expertise, we are well positioned to support Morocco’s hydrocarbon potential.”

The development comes as Morocco, which remains heavily dependent on imported energy, is accelerating exploration and infrastructure development for gas in particular, with a view to diversifying energy supply for growing power generation and industry demands. Several key basins, both onshore and offshore, have demonstrated commercial gas potential.