Algeria wants to double its gas output

Algeria is reportedly planning to double its production of gas within a decade. The country produces 1.2 million barrels per day now. Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi told a state radio station last week a new bidding round for oil and gas licences will open in the “coming weeks”, reported Reuters. He said the OPEC nation […]

Algeria’s first ever wind farm dusted off

Building has finished on Algeria’s first ever wind farm at Adrar in the country’s southern desert. The 10MW project was installed for the state utility company Sonelgaz and was built by French engineering firm Cegelec. It has 12 Gamesa 850 kW turbines – one of which was the 10,000th of the turbines to be installed […]

Algeria announces ‘major’ oil discovery

Algeria has reportedly discovered a new oil field containing an estimated 1.3 billion barrels. The discovery made by state oil company Sonatrach is believed to be near the city of Ouargla in the southern part of the country. Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi is quoted as saying this is “one of Sonatrach’s biggest discoveries in the […]

EU signs energy agreement with Algeria

Algeria and the European Union have agreed to co-operate on energy in the future. EU President Manuel Barroso announced yesterday the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to work together in oil and gas, renewable energy and energy efficiency. The African state which is partially covered by the Sahara desert (pictured) is the world’s […]

Algerian crisis could cost Italy €1bn for energy

Italy could face an additional cost of nearly €1 billion (£839m) per year for energy due to interruption of Algerian gas supplies. According to energy consultancy firm Althesys, the Algerian crisis disrupted supply of energy into Italy, which could result to increased costs of around €989 million (£830.7m) a year, although it didn’t mention for […]

BP holds minute’s silence for Algeria attack victims

BP staff are holding a minute’s silence today in memory of the people who were killed in the In Amenas hostage crisis. A week since the firm’s co-owned gas field was attacked by a group of more than 30 terrorists linked with al-Qaeda, the British oil firm said the silence was “a mark of respect […]

‘Eighty dead’ in Algeria gas field attack

The death toll after the Algeria gas field siege has mounted to 80 according to reports today, with British, American, Japanese, French, Norwegian, Filipino and Romanian workers reported dead or missing alongside militant casualties. Three Britons were killed during the hostage crisis at BP’s gas field in Algeria (pictured) while a further three British nationals […]

Cameron condemns “savage” Algeria gas field attack

The Prime Minister strongly condemned the group responsible for the hostage crisis at British firm BP’s gas field in Algeria this morning. On Wednesday in the early hours the In Amenas gas field jointly owned by BP, Norwegian firm Statoil and Algeria’s Sonatrach was raided by a band of terrorists, which is still holding a […]

Editorial – People are the real price of energy…

Today we will probably face some harsh realities. The situation in Algeria is looking tragic in the extreme and I expect by the end of the day there will be several dozens of fatalities after the kidnap of gas workers at the In Amenas plant by islamic militants. The loss of life whatever figure it […]

Briton dead in BP gas facility in Algeria

Foreign Secretary William Hague has confirmed that one British person has been shot dead and a number of others are being held hostage in the BP gas plant in Algeria. Reports claim as many as 41 foreign workers, including British nationals, are believed to have been kidnapped and Algerian troops have surrounded the field located […]