As of January 2010, 33 exploration wells have been drilled, resulting in 19 discoveries, some of which have been tested at flow rates above 21,000 barrels of oil per day. Further exploration drilling is taking place.

An Exploitation Licence for the development of the four Block 208 fields was granted in 2003 and development is in progress on the El Merk project, with production planned to start in 2012.

Maersk Oil participates in two Production Sharing Contracts in Algeria. Maersk Oil's share of the oil production was some 30,000 barrels per day in 2009.

Maersk Oil has a 12.25% interest in Blocks 404a and 208, together with ENI (12.25%), co-operator Anadarko (24.5%) and co-operator Sonatrach (51%), the Algerian state oil company.

Exploration activities commenced in 1990. The initial discoveries were the El Merk Field and El Merk East Field in Block 208. These were followed by the discovery of three major oil fields in Block 404a: Hassi Berkine (HBN), Hassi Berkine South (HBNS) and Ourhoud. Later, 10 satellite fields were discovered in Block 404a.

The Ourhoud Field, located in the southeastern corner of Block 404a, is the second largest oil field in Algeria and was discovered in 1994. Development well drilling began in late 1998.  Oil production began in 2002 and the field has separate production facilities with a capacity of about 250,000 barrels of oil per day.

The HBNS Field was brought on production in 1998 with an initial production capacity of 60,000 barrels of oil per day.

In 2002, a central production facility for various fields, located at the HBNS Field, was expanded to cater for increased production from the HBNS Field and new production from the HBN Field and the Block 404a satellite fields. The combined production capacity reached 285,000 barrels of oil per day.

Export of the produced oil takes place through a 30” pipeline linking Block 404a with the Algeria's export infrastructure to the north. Crude oil is lifted by customers at the coastal terminals.