(Ecofin Agency) - The investments made in the energy sector in Algeria have reached US$ 3.6 billion during the first quarter 2015, 19% higher compared to the same period in 2014, APS relates. This increase in investments was recorded despite the oil revenue shrinking, due to the fall in crude oil prices, based on the information obtained from the ministry of Energy.

According to the same source, the refinery production reached 7 million metric tons, all products taken together, against 7.6 million metric tons for the same period in 2014, representing a drop of 8.2%. This in a context of rapid growth of the internal demand which necessitated the import of 581,000 metric tons of refined products, 9% less than registered for the same period last year.

In the period under review, the local energy market used 15.4 million metric tons equivalent of hydrocarbons, on the rise by 11%, with natural gas increase of 14% representing 70% of the total energy consumption, while oil products consumption has gone up by 4.9%.

The primary commercial production of hydrocarbons during the first quarter decreased by 6% to settle at 38.1 million metric tons equivalent oil in this country where the contribution to the production from foreign companies, combined with Sonatrach, represented 33% of the total national production of hydrocarbons.