Minister Of Energy Requests Bouteflika To Fire CEO Of Sonatrach

Minister of Energy and Mines, Youcef Yousfi, has asked President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to fire current CEO of hydrocarbons giant Sonatrach, Noureddine Cherouati, well informed sources revealed.

Mr Yousfi raised a set of technical reasons that motivated his demand to get rid of Mr Cherouati, including that the latter is no more able to run this crucial era, following the jail of former top officials of Sonatrach in January 2010.

The conflict between the two men has reached its peak before the OPEC meeting in Vienna, as the minister rejected taking Cherouati among his official delegation, while the CEO of Sonatrach countered by sealing the agreement that settled the conflict with Spain’s Gaz Natural, last week, without inviting the Minister of Energy to this important ceremony.

Mr Yousfi, however, has decided not inaugurating the first electricity gas and solar power generating plan, which was prescheduled for last 13 June. Well informed sources assert that the project is 100 percent ready, but conflict between the top two energy officials hinders its inauguration. 

Sources close to Mr Yousfi said the latter believes that Mr Cherouati has failed to boost the performance of Sonatrach, after the recent financial scandal that hit the hydrocarbons giant. Mr Cherouati has failed also in putting an end to the brain drain that hit the company, as the skilled employees are keeping exodus towards foreign petroleum companies, the sources added.