27/07/2008
Seventy-nine companies from around the world qualified for Algeria's first gas exploration and production licensing round since 2005, local and international press quote Energy Minister Chakib Khellil as saying on Saturday (July 26th). The list includes major oil and gas companies such as BP, Russia's Gazprom, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Repsol, Total, Gas Natural, Anadarko, Shell, Gaz de France, Statoil and Petronas among others. Algeria's gas exports are currently estimated at 62 billion cubic metres per year, and are expected to reach 85 billion by 2012.