• Algeria, Petrogas E&P sign study deals on key oil basins

• Agreements cover Touggourt, Berkine; aim to reassess reserves

• No exploitation yet; part of strategy to boost oil output

Algeria’s national hydrocarbons agency, Alnaft, signed two study agreements with Oman’s private oil company, Petrogas E&P, during the North Africa Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (NAPEC 2025) in Oran.

The agreements, signed on Wednesday, October 8, according to Algerian media, cover the Touggourt and Berkine basins, two of the country’s main oil-producing regions. Algeria’s national output stood at 947,000 barrels per day (bpd) at the end of August, according to data compiled by Trading Economics.

The studies aim to reassess geological structures, seismic data, and reservoir characteristics in both basins. The objective is to update estimates of remaining hydrocarbon potential ahead of possible future investment programs.

Both areas are regarded as mature fields where production remains substantial but requires updated geological data to help stabilize national output. In the southeastern Touggourt field, for example, production rose to 60,000 bpd in 2023, up from an estimated 45,000 bpd previously, following the phased commissioning of new wells drilled since 2016.

The Berkine basin, a historic hub of Algerian oil exploration, saw state-owned Sonatrach and its partners report several crude oil and gas discoveries in 2023, with flow rates reaching up to 3,000 bpd of oil and 219,000 cubic meters per day of gas, according to Sonatrach’s April 2023 statements. The Berkine Grouping (Sonatrach-Occidental-Eni) says the region has already produced more than 1.7 billion barrels since operations began, highlighting the strategic importance of these fields.

Governed by the 2019 Hydrocarbons Law (Law No. 19-13), these technical study agreements do not involve immediate exploitation commitments. Alnaft has signed around a dozen similar partnerships since 2022 as part of a broader effort to reduce exploration risks and support the recovery of national oil production.

Abdel-Latif Boureima