Algeria will not stop working if Sonatrach’s foreign partners leave, says minister

Western oil groups did not ask to leave Algeria following January 16th’s attack on a gas complex in Tiguentourine (south of Algeria), said energy minister Youcef Youssfi on Sunday in response to allegations about British Petroleum‘s intention to stop operating in the country.

“Algeria did not receive any request from British Petroleum to postpone or ban its activities. The government understands the delay over resuming its projects at Tiguentourine complex due to security guarantees-related problems,” Youssfi told journalists in Algiers.

“If foreign partners want to leave, Algeria will not stop and Sonatrach will continue working using its efforts and its experts and engineers’ capacity. Some foreign companies want to operate in Algeria,” he added.

He also said the government reviewed its protection strategy of oil fields following the In Amenas attack.

The Hydrocarbon Regulatory Authority started receiving oil companies representatives to explain to them the law on hydrocarbons including new amendments.

According to the minister, the authority has received 80 compnaies.

Speaking about Algeria’s oil production, he said it depends on oil production at the global level. “It is normal that the production of fields which have operated for 60 years goes down. Sonatrach makes considerable efforts to reconstitute oil and gas reserves to preserve Algeria’s energy security.”

He added that recent oil and gas discoveries enable to maintain and improve production current level. “If information about oil in Hassi Rmel field are confirmed, it will be the most important discovery ever in the last 50 years in Algeria.”