Meed | Algeria seeks upstream oil and gas consultants

Algeria seeks upstream oil and gas consultants

29 May 2023

Algeria’s state-owned oil and gas company Sonatrach has issued a request for expressions of interest from companies that are specialised in carrying out studies and consultancy work focused on developing oil and gas assets.

In a statement, it said that that the company must have the ability to carry out integrated reservoir studies.

These are expected to potentially cover:

Geological and geophysical studies
Development plans
Reservoir management for mature fields
Laboratory analysis
The study of reservoirs of unconventional oil and gas deposits

Sonatrach also said that it would welcome companies that could certify reserves, although this was not essential.

In its statement it said that candidates are required to express their interest within 45 days of the publication of the request for expressions of interest.

Last month, Algeria announced six new hydrocarbon discoveries, including two in the country’s Amguid Messaoud basin.

All of the discoveries were made during the first quarter of 2023, according to a statement released by Sonatrach on 11 April.

In the statement, it said that the two gas discoveries made in the Amguid Messaoud basin have significant oil and gas potential.

In addition, two oil and condensate gas finds were made in the Berkine basin, along with an oil and gas discovery in the Oued Mya basin and a discovery of condensate gas in the Ohanet region.

Sonatrach discovered 35 oil and gas fields between 2020 and the end of 2022, according to company data, one of which was jointly developed with the Italian energy major Eni.

Algeria is struggling to ramp up production to meet demand from Europe. Investment is needed to develop new energy projects and maintain and upgrade existing infrastructure.

In January, Eni and Sonatrach signed agreements designed to boost the North African company’s gas export capacity.

The two energy companies signed agreements on 23 January during Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's first trip to Algiers, where she met the country's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

In July 2022, Eni, the US’ Occidental and French Total signed a $4bn oil and gas production-sharing contract with Sonatrach.

Before the Russian and Ukraine war, Algiers provided the European Union with only 11 per cent of its gas needs, compared to 47 per cent from Russia.

The African country exports about 83 per cent of its gas to Europe, most of it to Italy and Spain, which in 2021 received 65 per cent of Algeria’s gas exports.

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Wil Crisp

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Saudi Arabia’s King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC) received prequalification statements on 1 July from contractors for two new packages at King Salman International airport (KSIA) in Riyadh.

These include the construction of a permanent East-West corridor and landside access roads serving the North and South terminals.

The scope covers the construction of roads, bridges and tunnels.

The client is expected to float the tenders soon.

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KSIADC, which is backed by Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle the Public Investment Fund, will initially deliver the project on an early contractor involvement basis.

In March, MEED exclusively reported that KSIADC had selected three groups for the construction of Terminal 6.

In November last year, MEED reported that KSIADC was targeting mid-2026 to award the contract for the construction of Terminal 6.

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The reports added that Terminal 6 will boost the airport’s capacity by 40 million passengers.

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WEBINAR: Saudi Giga Projects: Market Update for Q3 2026
8 July 2026
Webinar: Saudi Giga Projects: Market Update for Q3 2026
Tuesday 21 July 2026 | 11:00 AM GST | Register now

Agenda:
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Genel Energy buys Egypt-focused oil company for $360m
8 July 2026

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UK-listed Genel Energy has agreed to acquire Egypt-focused Capricorn Energy in a $360m all-cash deal.

Genel said the acquisition will combine its Kurdistan production base with Capricorn’s portfolio of Egyptian oil and gas assets.

The company also said the deal will allow it to obtain production in a country with a “well-established regulatory regime, stable contracts and attractive fiscal terms”.

Several approvals are still required before the acquisition can be finalised.

In a statement, Genel said: “Genel’s strategy is to build a business with resilient diversified cash flows that deliver sustainable value to shareholders.

“The Genel board and Genel management are resolute in their belief that this can best be achieved through strategic acquisitions, which add substantial high-quality producing assets to its existing portfolio.”

Genel’s existing oil and gas assets include its 25% non-operated working interest in the Tawke PSC in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The company said this asset generated working interest production averaging 17,520 barrels a day (b/d) of oil in 2025 and had operating costs of around $4 a barrel.

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Capricorn is headquartered in Edinburgh and has been listed on the London Stock Exchange for more than 30 years.

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Axens signs Egypt refining deal
8 July 2026

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France’s Axens has signed a long-term agreement with the Egyptian Refining Company (ERC) that covers product supply, digital transformation and refinery performance optimisation.

ERC operates Egypt’s $4.4bn Mostorod refinery, which was inaugurated in September 2020.

In a statement about the deal, Axens said that it will “leverage its comprehensive and integrated portfolio of technologies, equipment, catalysts and services to support ERC’s operational, economic and sustainability objectives”.

It added: “With its end-to-end expertise across the entire refining value chain, Axens is uniquely positioned to support ERC from early-stage project studies through engineering, unit start-up, operational optimisation and long-term technical follow-up.

“This fully integrated approach will help ensure reliability, operational excellence and environmental performance across the refinery’s life cycle.”

Quentin Debuisschert, the chief executive and chairman of Axens, said: “This long-term agreement marks an important milestone in the relationship between Axens and ERC.

“It reflects our ability to support customers beyond technology licensing by delivering a fully integrated offering that combines all process and catalyst technologies a modern refinery needs, services, digital solutions, operational expertise and training.

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“We are proud and motivated to continue supporting ERC in ensuring the economic and operational success of its refinery."

Mohamed Saad, the president of ERC, said: “ERC values its strong partnership with Axens and the confidence this agreement brings for the future.

"This collaboration will help us continue enhancing refinery performance, maximising operational efficiency and delivering high-quality products to support Egypt’s energy needs.”

The Mostorod refinery is located 10 kilometres north of Cairo and has the capacity to produce about 4.7 million tonnes of petroleum products annually.

It sells all of its output directly to the national oil company Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation under a 25-year agreement.

When the refinery was brought online and reached full capacity, it boosted Egypt’s capacity to produce diesel by 30% and increased gasoline production by 15%.

Operations started at the refinery in November 2019.

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Wil Crisp

Gulftainer commits to $2bn expansion plan

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The strategy restructures the company around four platforms: container terminals and maritime gateways, inland logistics and multimodal transport, logistics parks and industrial ecosystems, and regional maritime services connecting strategic trade corridors.

At the centre of the strategy is Khorfakkan Port, the UAE's deepwater gateway on the Gulf of Oman. Expansion works will raise annual handling capacity from 3.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 5 million TEUs, a 43% uplift, with a long-term master plan targeting more than 10 million TEUs. Planned integration with Etihad Rail will turn the port into a fully multimodal gateway linking sea, road and rail.

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Inland, Al-Dhaid Logistics Park and Sajaa Logistics Park will together provide 2.3 million TEUs of annual inland capacity, extending Gulftainer's reach.

The company positions itself as a key enabler of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and the UAE's role in China's Belt and Road Initiative, linking ports, shipping services, inland logistics networks and digital platforms across major global trade routes. The transformation follows nearly five decades of operation and is being implemented under the New Gulftainer strategy.

Gulftainer's partnership with the Sharjah Ports, Customs & Free Zones Authority underpins the Khorfakkan expansion. The port sits within an integrated maritime network spanning both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, offering shippers several routing options across the two waterways.

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