Morocco is playing hardball with both Algeria and Spain over the looming 31 October expiry of a 25-year deal for Algeria to use the Moroccan section of the 11.5bcm/y Gaz-Maghreb-Europe (GME) pipeline to ship gas to Spain. The GME route has typically handled around half of Algeria’s gas exports to Spain, which averaged around 16-18bcm, or 35-40% of Algeria’s gas exports, for 2013-18. Though volumes dipped for 2019 and 2020 they are back at around this level for 2021.
GME is not the only Algeria-Spain pipeline connection. A direct Algeria-Spain route, the 8bcm/y capacity Medgaz, started operations in 2011 (see map). (CONTINUED - 1578 WORDS)
