Algeria's In Salah gas fields now producing

By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, July 7 -- Production has started up at In Salah gas fields in central Algeria, reported Mohamed Meziane, managing director of Algeria's state oil and gas company Sonatrach. The fields, which are expected to produce about 10 billion cu m/year of gas, will be linked by pipeline to Hassi R'Mel and the gas marketed to southern Europe.

Sonatrach and BP PLC jointly developed the $2.5 billion project under a 30 year production-sharing contract signed in December 1995. Norway's Statoil ASA recently became affiliated with the project by purchasing 43% of BP's stake (OGJ, Dec. 4, 2000, p. 44).