ONHYM confirms: Total licence expired
Article image
Total's reconnaissance contract offshore Western Sahara expired 6 December 2012.
Published 07 December 2012


The oil magazine Upstream published 7 December a story about Total's engagement in Western Sahara.

"A source at Morocco's state-owned upstream player Onhym confirmed the contract was set to expire on 6 December, but was unaware of the French company's next step", wrote Upstream.

Find subscription information for the oil and gas news service Upstream here.

WSRW has during the last days received no indication as to whether Total will end, prolong or upgrade its licence in Western Sahara. The controversial agreement was signed quietly 12 months ago, and has remained under the radar until it was discovered last week, shortly before it was set to expire.

Occupied Western Sahara wind complex expands into Africa's top three

The Moroccan king’s energy company appears to have completed two new phases of the Aftissat wind power complex in occupied Western Sahara.

11 August 2026

Dirty green energy on occupied land

How can it be wrong to develop renewable energy, in a world that is in desperate need for a green transition? In Western Sahara, the problems are numerous.

06 August 2026

Trump administration bankrolls ammonia project in occupied Western Sahara

The Trump administration has become the first US government to finance a private-sector project in occupied Western Sahara, awarding support to the controversial ORNX green ammonia venture.

03 August 2026

Engie paves way for new farmland in occupied Western Sahara

Morocco has launched another tender to allocate more than 1,000 hectares of agricultural land in occupied Western Sahara, made cultivable through the French company Engie. The expansion comes as the EU considers increasing the unlawful trade with the territory. 

16 July 2026