We are committed to positively contributing to the communities we operate in, delivering energy, jobs, and investment to local communities and the wider economy, sustainably.
Training and development
At Sound, we are fortunate to have a talented and diverse team in-country. As part of our ESG ambitions, we work with local regulators and governments to ensure that we impart our knowledge and experience onto the community. To that end, Sound Energy provided financial and technical support for two PhD students as part of the cooperation agreement signed between Sound Energy and Mohammed First University of Oujda.
The main objectives of this PhD programme was to develop national energy industry competence and increase engagement between Moroccan academic expertise and industry professionals in an effort to combine knowledge on the geology of the Tendrara basin.
The two PhD students also benefitted from a broad training programme, including wireline log interpretation and formation evaluation, petroleum geochemistry, drilling operations and seismic acquisition, processing and interpretation.
Furthermore, Sound has an extensive training budget and commitment to a percentage of operational spend for ongoing training both in our office in Rabat and on-site at our operations. In 2023 for example we sponsored the training of an employee into a HSSE role.
Community development projects
Sound Energy has been committed to the development of the local community via substantial investment over the past 15 years. We have worked with remote communities far from infrastructure through employment, training and engagement with local leaders.
Tahala School Water Supply Project, Nov 2024
Tahala School is located approximately 1km from the Hassi Lahcen water well (drilled during the 2016 well campaign). The school serves the local semi-nomadic community, with 2 classrooms catering for around 13 children aged 6 – 17 years, with a creche facility with 5 children under age 5.
The children and teachers lacked basic support and maintenance for the school. Prior to the completion of our project, the school was equipped with a plastic water tank that was not filled regularly. There were no bathrooms, waste bins, or other essential facilities.
Sound Energy has provided running water to the school and the surrounding community, and while the water is supplied on the basis that it is not currently drinking quality, the work has been approved by the Kaid of Matarka.
We plan to ensure a regular maintenance schedule of solar panels, and the water supply linked to the mLNG facility operator. Future plans include the construction of bathrooms for the school to provide basic sanitation for students and teachers, installation of waste bins and the creation of a waste management system linked to the mLNG plant operator.
Investing in the local community
To date, we have hired more than 70 people in Eastern Morocco and, as our projects continue to advance, more will surely be added to this total. We have also provided infrastructure including a mobile telephone mast, a water well, investment in a new maternity section for the local health centre, investment in a school building and an on-site office with accommodation for employees that work and live year-round at our operational hub. We have also worked on various infrastructure projects including building and improving access roads near to site.