Ireland’s Petroceltic International has reported positive results from its gas exploration activities in Algeria.

The exploration company said that hydraulic fracturing activities at the AT-7 well in Algeria’s Ain Tsila gas field had produced gas at a flow rate of 4.9 million standard cubic feet-a-day (scf/d).

“This result confirms that commercial gas rates can be achieved in the south of the field, after the mixed results of [the previous] AT-6,” said Petroceltic International’s chief executive Brian O’Cathain in a statement.

The Ain Tsila field is a joint venture between Petroceltic International, which owns 56.625 per cent; Algeria’s Sonatrach, which owns 25 per cent; and Italy’s Enel, which owns the remaining 18.375 per cent.