News flash
- SONATRACH, TotalEnergies, and QatarEnergy officially signed a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for the “Ahara” perimeter — a key milestone following the Algeria Bid Round 2024, the first competitive tender launched by ALNAFT under Hydrocarbons Law No. 19-13.
The Ahara perimeter, covering approximately 14,900 km², is strategically positioned at the crossroads of the Berkine and Illizi basins, two of Algeria’s most prolific hydrocarbon regions.
The results of the competitive bid process were announced by The National Agency for the Valorization of Hydrocarbon Resources (“ALNAFT”), awarding exploration and production rights for the onshore Ahara Block to a consortium comprising of QatarEnergy with an effective interest of 24.5%, TotalEnergies (the operator during the exploration phase) with an effective interest of 24.5%, and Algeria’s national state-owned oil company “Sonatrach” with an effective interest of 51%.
Commenting on this award, His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, President and CEO of QatarEnergy, said: “We are delighted to be awarded the Ahara Block, which marks our first entry into Algeria’s upstream sector and further and expands our footprint in Africa.”
H.E. Minister Al-Kaabi added: “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank the Algerian Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Renewable Energies and ALNAFT on the successful management of this bid round. We look forward to a successful and collaborative exploration endeavor with the Ministry alongside ALNAFT, Sonatrach, and TotalEnergies.”
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
