State-owned Algerian energy firm Sonatrach has announced that the company will invest US$3.48bn for the construction of gas pipelines in Algeria
Saïd Sahnoun, interim CEO of Sonatrach, said that the investment is a part of a five-year plan for 2015-2019 to increase oil and gas output in the region.
The gas pipelines have been built to carry about 20bn cu/m per year. The pipelines are under construction, Sahnoun said, adding that the pipelines will be ready for use by July 2016.
Yousef Al-Yousefi, energy minister of Algeria, said, “With the help of Sonatrach, the country expects to produce about 40 per cent more natural gas within the next five year.”
The company currently maintains four main gas pipelines near the Basins of Berkine, Illizi, Reggane and Timimoun in Algeria.
“The success of this investment in gas pipelines during its development phase will require significant human resources to address the shortcomings in terms of equipment availability,” Sahnoun added .
