End of the road for Camel
It appears that Sonatrach has finally decided to cease production at its oldest and smallest plant, the 1.2 mtpa GL4Z (ex-Camel) plant at Arzew. The plant started commercial operations back in 1964, making it the oldest LNG export plant in the world and its closure has been long anticipated, but nevertheless is a significant event in the history of the LNG industry. It comes at a time when Sonatrach has been beset with a range of challenges, but with a new team at the helm and the market picking up – at least in volume terms – Sonatrach can perhaps face the future with more optimism than for some time.